Don't Ask Me To Be Friends
by White-Knight-1988
Summary: Tommy's in L.A. with Anton Mercer for a few days worth of paleontology conferences. Kim owns a gymnastics school in L.A. What happens when Tommy reads a magazine article that completely changes his perspective on things? Find out here. Please R & R guys.
1. The Reunion

Tommy Oliver, Doctor of Paleontology and science teacher at Reefside High School, was the guy every man wanted to be and every woman wanted to be with. He was silent and mysterious with a physique guys would kill for and girls would kill to touch. To an outsider, he had the perfect life but very few people really knew what went on inside the man's head.

Four people. That's how many people Tommy had really let into his life and given the chance to know the real Tommy Oliver. One was his best friend from high school, a man named Jason Scott who was currently a detective for Angel Grove Police Department.

Haley Ziktor, a college friend and his "assistant" in certain activities was another. They had known each other for years and had tried dating but they were simply destined to be lifelong friends and nothing more.

An older man named Anton Mercer was the third. Anton had helped Tommy through college and given him a job upon graduation. Tommy trusted Anton with his life, even if things had been a little rocky between them in the past.

As he strolled up and down the aisles of a Los Angeles Safeway, he managed to block out the memory of the fourth person. He was in town for a conference with Anton and was just picking up a few necessities to take back to his hotel room for the next few nights.

Grabbing random items off the shelves and tossing them into the basket, he quickly began to fill the shopping cart with more things then he had planned on buying. As he entered the produce department, he passed by a couple teenaged girls flipping through a magazine and giggling with each other.

"How sweet is that?" one of the girls squealed "You never forget your first love? That's just so damn cute. He must have been a lucky guy to get a girl like this."

_You never forget your first love._

Tommy knew and understood that better than anyone on the planet. Kimberly Hart had been everything to him. A perfect dream that lasted for over three years and then turned into a horrible nightmare when she sent him the letter and broke up with him. Not only that, but she was the fourth person.

Katherine Hillard had tried to replace Kimberly and she had succeeded in one way but the pretty Australian knew she'd never be able to take the place of the brunette gymnast in the way she wanted to. After losing the Turbo Powers Tommy and Katherine called it off, both agreeing that their relationship just wasn't going in the right direction. Katherine wanted more of a commitment and Tommy just couldn't give her what she wanted.

"You're an amazing girl and you'll make some man very happy one day," Tommy had said to her as tears filled her eyes "I just can't be that guy. I want to be that guy for you Kat but I'm just not ready yet. I'm sorry."

Unlike his first breakup, though, this one was a mutual decision and the pair had remained good friends, exchanging emails regularly and the occasional phone call as well. Katherine had actually ran into Billy a couple years later in New York where she was attending dance school. Billy had returned from Aquitar a few months prior to the meeting and was working for a genetic research company in Manhattan. The pair hit it off quite well and had begun dating shortly after which culminated in a marriage a couple years later.

Tommy was glad that Katherine had finally found someone who could make her happy in the ways he couldn't. He loved Katherine but it was more of a sisterly love, the same love he shared with Trini, Aisha and Tanya.

As Tommy continued to make his way through the grocery store and towards the checkout line, something on the magazine rack caught his eye so he walked over to investigate. He picked up the magazine in question and almost lost it in the middle of the grocery store when he read the headline under the word "TIME."

_America's sweetheart reveals all - A TIME exclusive with Olympic gymnast Kimberly Hart_

He wanted to stand in the grocery store and read it right there but resolved to add it to his cart and read it when he got back to his hotel room. Twenty minutes later he was back on the road, heading towards the Marriott with only one thing in mind.

After unpacking his purchases, he turned the television on quietly and flopped down on the couch with the magazine in hand. The cover was an action shot of Kimberly after her dismount from the beam at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where she had won gold in the vault, uneven bars, all around and balance beam while taking silver in the floor exercise.

Quickly, he flipped to the table of contents and found the page number for the interview with Kim. A smile crept across his face as he saw more pictures of his first love and read the introduction to the interview/article.

_Kimberly Hart, better known as America's Sweetheart after her performance in the 2000 Olympic Games, has been a mainstay on television for the last eight years since her performance at the 1998 Pan Global Games. But what do we really know about the gymnastics superstar? Ms. Hart has never been one to dive into personal details about her life but she has agreed to this exclusive, one-time interview with TIME Magazine. We here at TIME are proud to bring you the insight America has always wanted in to the life of one of its' most famous athletes and one o People Magazine's Most Beautiful People for the past three years in a row.  
_

Tommy skimmed down a little bit further until the actual interview started. To say he was unprepared for what he was about to read was a definite understatement and would change how the 27 year-old teacher felt about, literally, everything.

_TIME: So, Ms. Hart, first off let me just take a moment and thank you for your willingness to do this interview. It's a great honor to be the one to do this._

_Kimberly Hart: No problem. I'm glad to do it, so let the grilling begin (laughs)._

_T: Okay then, we'll just dive right into it, I guess. What have you been up to recently? Still training future Olympic hopefuls?_

_K: Absolutely. Gymnastics is my passion and training lets me stay involved in the sport I love. Being able to train young girls to follow in my footsteps is an amazing feeling and gives me a huge sense of satisfaction. Jessica (Krauss, Hart's teammate on the 2000 Olympic team) and I opened a gymnastics school called Soaring Crane in Los Angeles a few years back and it's going absolutely fantastic right now. Attendance is up and the girls really like training with us two old fogies._

_T: Old fogies?(laughs) I'm sure they don't see you as old. You're only what, 28?_

_K: 27 thank you very much (laughs)._

_T: My sincerest apologies to you, Ms. Hart. So tell us about how you got into gymnastics. I think we all want to know how you became the best in the world._

_K: I don't know about the best in the world. (laughs then pauses briefly) Unfortunately, I grew up in a very dysfunctional household. I had two very loving parents but they were always at odds with each other. My mom signed me up for gymnastics when I was five as a way to keep me out of the war zone that our house had become. Obviously, I fell in love with the sport and that's why I'm here with you (laughs slightly)._

_T: Speaking of love, is there anyone special in your life? Every time we see you in public it seems like you're either alone or with a former teammate._

_K: (takes a deep breath) There's no one special right now. I've had my eye on the same guy since I was sixteen. Can you believe that I just don't have the guts to tell him?._

_T: Kimberly Hart who medaled five times in one summer doesn't have the guts to tell the man she's after? You'll have to pardon me but that definitely is a shock. Would you like to tell us about him?_

_K: Not really but that's what this interview is for, I guess. Like I said, I met him when I was sixteen. We actually dated for a few years, it was getting pretty serious and then I moved to Florida to train for the Pan Global Games. The distance was too much and I couldn't take it so I broke it off with him. For as much as I cared about and loved him, I couldn't stand being away from him and it was just easier to end it and try to move on. I've never really moved on .(long pause) I don't think you ever forget your first love (starts to cry). _

Tommy's heart skipped at least a few beats when he read those lines. As much as he hated Kim for breaking up with him he had never managed to shake the feelings that he knew he still harbored for her. She had been the best thing to ever happen to him and the breakup had torn him up inside but he knew that he still loved her and, unless Kim had been playing him for three years, she apparently still felt the same way about him.

The rest of the interview was pretty basic stuff, more talk about gymnastics and her social life with no other mention of the love she had left behind. He skimmed back over the interview and paused when he read her answer to the first question. Kim had a gymnastics school in Los Angeles. He was in Los Angeles.

"Get a grip, Oliver," he mumbled to himself and tossed the magazine on the coffee table "What would you even say to her after all these years? 'Hey Kim, I know you broke my heart and that we haven't talked in ten years but I still love you and I haven't gotten over you?' Yeah, right. Real smart. Like locking your car door when a giant dinosaur is chasing you, smart."

Conceding defeat, Tommy opted for a quick shower before turning in for the night. He had to leave with Anton for a different hotel across town at nine the next morning for another conference and, after the drive to L.A. and the conference they had already attended earlier, he needed the rest.

The interview with Kim stayed on his mind the whole night as he tossed back and forth in the bed, unable to get the sleep he so desperately desired. Sleep finally claimed him at three in the morning but not before he made a promise to himself to do something he was almost positve that he would end up regretting.

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Tommy groaned angrily as the phone rang at six for his wakeup call. After starting a pot of coffee, he disappeared for another shower and came back out thirty minutes later clean shaven and wearing black slacks, a black dress shirt and a white necktie.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and grabbed a small pair of scissors from his travel bag before retreating to the couch and turning on the television. The morning news played in the background as Tommy cut away at the magazine cover. When he had finished what he was doing, it was only seven and he didn't have to be at the conference until nine.

"It's now or never, Tommy," he grumbled as he dialed Anton's cell and waited for him to pick up but all he got was the answering machine "Hey Anton it's me. I'm gonna run out and grab some breakfast. I should be back by around eight-thirty to pick you up. I have my cell if you need me."

With the cutout from the magazine in his hands, Tommy scribbled a quick note on the back of it, verified the address in the phone book and quickly left the hotel room. It was a twenty-five minute drive to his destination and he made it in fifteen in the Mercedes-Benz that Anton had rented for the trip.

_Soaring Crane Gymnastics Academy_ the sign read as Tommy pulled up in front of the building that was dead of all activity. Nervously, Tommy got out of the car and walked towards the entrance to the school with the cutout and a small roll of Scotch tape in hand. As he taped his work to the front door, he prayed that Kimberly would be the first one to arrive that morning.

When his work was done, he got back in the car and exited the parking lot before heading back to the hotel room. He was so caught up in what he had just done that he didn't see the black BMW pass by him and turn into the same parking lot he had just been in.

Since he had told Anton he was stopping for breakfast, he figured it would probably be a good idea to return with something so he stopped and grabbed a few bagels on the way back. Forty minutes later, he and Anton were in the Mercedes again, heading for the other side of town. As they drove back by the familiar area, Tommy didn't even bother to take a second look at the school he knew was on his immediate right.

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_Forty Minutes Earlier…_

_That's weird_ Kimberly Hart thought to herself. A silver Mercedes coupe had exited the parking lot of her school just as she had pulled into the parking lot. She shook it off as someone lost in the big city, using her parking lot as a place to turn around and made her way towards the entrance to the school.

"What the hell?" she muttered as she approached the door and found her picture from the cover of TIME taped to the door "Damn stalkers."

She pulled the picture from the glass door and almost crumpled it up when she saw the writing on the back of it. Her heart stopped momentarily as she read the message that was written in a handwriting she instantly recognized.

_I never forgot either._ it said in sloppy red cursive _555-9276. Call me, Kim. I miss you._

Tears filled Kim's eyes as she tucked the picture in her duffel bag and made her way to her office at the back of the building. She sat down in her leather chair and stared at the pictures on her desk. Every picture had anywhere from five to nine people in them at a time but there was one consistent with each and every picture.

She was in all of them as was a sandy haired teenager who she knew had ended up marrying the woman her only real love had replaced her with. Now she was full on crying as she unlocked one of the drawers in her desk and pulled out what looked like a huge binder which actually turned out to be a scrapbook. And a very personal scrapbook at that.

Where she had group pictures all over her large desk, the scrapbook never featured any less or any more than two people; a petite brunette girl and a tall, olive skinned man who either had his hair pulled back in a tight ponytail or flowing freely against his neck and back.

"Why did I leave you?" she asked herself silently as she found herself reaching towards her duffel bag.

After retrieving the picture and re-reading the message on the back, she decided to call him. He knew how she felt about him and he obviously still had some feelings for her as well. She picked up the phone off her desk , dialed the number and listened to it ringing until it clicked over to voicemail.

_Hi, you've reached Dr. Tommy Oliver. I'm currently unable to get to my phone right now but if you leave your name, number and a brief message I'll, uh, try and remember to get back to you. Bye._

Kim chuckled slightly as she listened to the pre-recorded message and Tommy's admittance to his memory problems. His inability to remember things had delayed many a date between the pair in the past.

"Hey, uh, it's Kim," she said when she heard the beep "I got your message. Or at least I think I got your message. If you didn't leave the note on the door of my school, then I'm sorry for calling you but if it was you, please call me back. The number at the school is 555-0787 and my cell is 555-1439. Maybe we can get together for coffee or something if you're in town. Bye, Handsome."

She cursed herself for saying 'handsome' and hung up the phone with an embarrassed expression on her face. Luckily, the first class of the day was starting soon and the girls had already begun to show up which gave Kim something to take her mind off of what had just happened.

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_Same day, late afternoon_

"Well, that was exciting," Tommy grumbled sarcastically and nonchalantly as he and Anton exited the hotel conference room "So what's on the agenda for the rest of the day?"

The scientist grumbled something about needing a stiff drink after the boring conference and Tommy let out a slight chuckle as they made their way towards their rental car. As they started to drive away, Tommy reached into his pocket and turned his cell phone on before returning it to his pocket. A few seconds later, he felt it vibrate against his leg and he retrieved it to find a new voicemail and a missed call from a number he didn't recognize.

Tommy quickly had to look the other direction as he listened to the message and tried to hide his expression from his friend. Unfortunately for Tommy, though, Anton had known him for years and his tenure as Mesogog had given him even more insight into the personal life of the young teacher.

"What's bothering you, Tommy?" Anton asked as Tommy kept his focus out his window.

"It's nothing. Just an old friend who knows I'm in town and wants to get together for coffee," Tommy answered casually.

"An old friend or an old girl friend?" Anton asked intuitively as Tommy looked at him in surprise.

"It's Kim," Tommy relented as Anton gave him an understanding look.

The pair had been friends long before Tommy's time as the Black Ranger and Anton's stint as Mesogog and the two had actually shared a lot over the past few years. Anton talked mostly about raising Trent and how hard it was on the boy to not be with his real family and Tommy mostly talked about Kim and how much he cared about and missed her even after all those years apart.

"Are you going to see her?" Anton asked encouragingly and Tommy shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. I'm the one who initiated the contact so I guess I should," Tommy answered quietly.

"You didn't initiate anything Tommy. She did when she did that interview with TIME," Anton replied as Tommy stared at him in surprise "What? Just because I'm a scientist doesn't mean I don't like to know what's going on in the real world too."

"It's just been so long," Tommy admitted "We haven't seen each other in years and we rarely even talk to each other."

"Tommy, if I can give you one piece of advice it's this," Anton began "Some people spend their whole lives searching for their "soul mate" and a good portion of them don't succeed. You know how you feel about Kim. I know how you feel about Kim. Maybe it's time Kim knows how you feel about Kim. You already let her get away once. Do you really want to spend the next ten years like you've spent the last ten? Always wondering what could have been?"

"Screw it, I'll call her back," Tommy conceded which surprised both of them a little bit and he dialed the number for her school. It rang a few times and a young girl answered.

"_Soaring Crane Gymnastics Academy,_" she said with a hint of over-perkiness in her voice.

"Yeah, hi. My name's Tommy Oliver," he told the girl "I'm an old friend of Kim Hart. Is she around by any chance?"

"She's in the middle of a class right now. Can I take a message?" the girl asked as Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Just tell her Tommy Oliver called and that he wants to talk to her. Tell her it's important too, please," Tommy answered and then hung up the phone.

Tommy returned the phone to his pocket, content to play the Waiting Game or Phone Tag or whatever it was they were getting into when he felt it vibrate against his leg again. He pulled it out and saw that he was getting a call from a blocked number and he answered it hesitantly.

"Hello?" Tommy asked and then waited.

"Seven p.m.," a female voice answered that he didn't recognize "There's a coffee shop three blocks from the school on J Street. Don't be late."

Tommy's eyes widened in surprise as the line clicked and he put his phone away. He looked over at Anton who was wearing a smile as the pair pulled up to the hotel.

"What was that about?" Anton asked as they got out of the car.

"Well, if it's what I think it is, I think I have a date," Tommy answered, still in shock over the last phone call "You wanna go grab some lunch in the hotel restaurant?"

"As long as they have a bar," Anton answered with a smile as the pair made their way into the hotel restaurant for lunch.

As they sat down at their table and placed their orders, Tommy couldn't help but feel nervous about the coming evening. What if it wasn't Kim who he was meeting? What if someone had set him up?

"I guess we'll just have to see," Tommy muttered and Anton gave him a quizzical look which Tommy quickly waved off as the waitress came over with their plates "Never mind. Let's just eat."

Tommy kept his head down the whole time, only talking if Anton asked him something. He was worried, maybe even a little scared but if he had known that, a few miles across town, a short brunette woman had been nervously pacing back and forth in her office for close to an hour, he probably would have felt a lot better.

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"You did what?!" Kim yelled angrily at her receptionist Samantha and her partner Jessica "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"You've been moping around ever since that interview with TIME ran," Jessica answered with a smile "I don't know why you're making such a big deal about this. He returned your call which means he _obviously_ wants to at least see you. I thought that's what you wanted."

"NO! I mean…it is, but still," Kim fumed "I wanted to do it on my terms, not yours. You don't even know Tommy."

"Tough shit, Hart. Deal with it," Jessica grinned "The way I see it, you have two choices. You can either go see him and hope for the best or you can cancel and probably never see or talk to him again. It's up to you."

Kim rolled her eyes and stormed out of the foyer as she marched into her office and locked the door behind her. As she looked around the room at her trophies, medals, plaques and other various awards she came to the conclusion that they didn't mean anything. Part of the reason she had gone to Florida and devoted so much time to gymnastics was to make Tommy proud of her and all she had done was alienate herself from the man she loved.

A single tear slid down her cheek and landed on one of the photos in the open scrap book. Slowly, she closed the book, returned it to the desk and locked the drawer before looking at the clock. It was already four o'clock and the last class didn't finish until five-thirty which only gave her an hour and a half to shower, change and get to the coffee shop…if she even decided to go.

So many thoughts clouded Kim's mind as she tried to decide what she was going to do. She knew what she wanted to do but she didn't know if it was the smart decision. They hadn't seen each other in years and it tore her up inside to know it was all her fault.

Even though she had broken up with him, he still tried to keep in contact with her but she always found an excuse not to return his calls. They exchanged emails every once in a while but it was nothing special. Tommy sent emails to all his former teammates but he rarely called any of them except Adam and Jason. Yet, he had called her numerous times and she had ignored him, justifying her actions by saying talking to him would only hurt them both more.

But what would happen if she went and met him? How could she tell him to his face that there had never been another guy and that the letter had been her way, her selfish way, of making herself feel better even if it was only temporary relief. She felt liberated for the first few weeks after breaking up with Tommy but after that it was nothing but emptiness.

Outside of practicing and competing, she had nothing without Tommy. His letters and phone calls had kept her going but when she broke up with him, she thought that she had lost her only motivation to keep going. It wasn't until having an Olympic Gold Medal placed around her neck that she realized she had still been doing it for Tommy, to make him proud even if he wasn't around to see it which was why all her medals and awards meant nothing to her. Without Tommy to be proud of her, her years of training had been completely worthless.

"So, are you going?" Jessica asked over the intercom on Kim's phone.

"I don't know, Jess," Kim answered "I'm scared. What if he hates me and yells at me?"

"Kim, he won't do that and you know it. He said he misses you didn't he?" Jessica asked in reply "That should be enough to tell you that he won't do those things. If you go and things don't work out, at least you tried but if you don't go, you're gonna spend the rest of your life hating yourself for not knowing what could have been."

"I know. You're right," Kim conceded "Can you do me a favor and cover the last class without me? If I'm going to do this I don't want to go in there smelling like sweat and looking like hell."

"Sure," Jessica replied "Go on and get out of here. I'll lock up when we're done."

"Thanks, Jess. I owe you one," Kim muttered and then pushed the red button to end the conversation before lowering her voice "Don't ask me to be friends. Please, love me or hate me but don't ask me to be friends."

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Tommy was nervous. So nervous, in fact, that he had actually arrived at the coffee shop nearly fifteen minutes early. The young woman behind the counter had tried to flirt with him and he had tried to give off the impression that he wasn't interested but she was persistent. It took quite a bit of finesse to get her to leave him alone but eventually, she gave up and went back to work.

The drive from the hotel to the coffee shop hadn't helped and only made his nerves wrack even more. He didn't know the radio stations in L.A. and he flipped through them until he found a song he liked on some country station.

That wasn't what made things hard, though. It was the song that had followed it. Tommy nearly burst into tears when the melody hit his ears. "Don't Ask Me To Be Friends" by Teddy Thompson was the song playing and tears filled his eyes as he sang along with the lyrics.

_After all we've been  
To one another  
How can we become  
Like sister and brother_

_Darling, I beg of you  
If our love must end  
Ask me to forget you  
But don't ask me to be friends_

_After being the one  
That you took pride in  
I just couldn't be  
The friend you confide in_

_If it's goodbye for us  
We'll never meet again  
Ask me to forget you  
But don't ask me to be friends_

_Wanting you so badly  
Needing you like this  
How can I just look at  
The lips that I used to kiss_

_If there's someone else  
Don't let me see him  
Cause I'll spend my life  
Wishing I could be him_

_Darling, I beg of you  
If our love must end  
Ask me to forget you  
But don't ask me to be friends_

The song made him think of Kim every time he heard it. The lyrics fit perfectly into what their relationship, or lack thereof, had become.

"God, if you're out there, can you please help me out with this one? I know I don't ask you for much but I really need you on this one," Tommy pleaded quietly "Don't let her ask me to be friends. She can love me or hate me but please, don't let her ask me to be friends."

As Tommy reached the coffee shop, he wiped his eyes and put on a pair of dark sunglasses to hide his now bloodshot eyes. After ordering his drink, he took it with him to a table near the restrooms and sat down quietly.

He sat with his back to the door next to a man who had his face hidden behind a newspaper. Tommy began reading the sports page from the day before and sipping his mocha as he waited for Kim. It tasted terrible in comparison to Haley's drinks but the chocolate was enough to make it at least bearable.

Kim walked in a few minutes late, at 7:05 and immediately started scanning the coffee shop for Tommy. None of the visible faces belonged to him and there were no ponytails on any of the men with their backs towards her.

_Just like Tommy_ she grumbled to herself as she walked past the counter towards the restrooms. She passed a man with spiked brown hair and as she walked by, he lifted his eyes a little but he looked too late and only caught the rearview. The body was familiar though and he thought it might have been Kim but he wasn't going to go after her just to find out it was some other girl.

He returned his eyes to the newspaper, frequently checking his watch and looking at the door but she hadn't arrived yet. When 7:10 rolled around, Tommy was convinced he had been set up and was about to leave when he heard her voice coming from the restroom area. It _was_ her that had walked by him a few minutes earlier.

"I'm telling you Jessica, he's not here. I looked all around the coffee shop and he's just not here. I told you he didn't want to see me," Kim hissed into her cell phone as she walked out of the bathroom and their eyes met "Um…I'm gonna have to call you back."

"Kim…" Tommy muttered quietly as he got up and walked towards her "Hey there."

"Hey yourself," Kim replied with an awkward silence that preceded an even more awkward greeting. Kim went for a hug as Tommy went for a handshake then Tommy went for a hug as Kim went for a handshake.

_Great, things are already weird_ Tommy said to himself as they finally got in a quick hug "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll get my own. I like my coffee a certain way but thanks for the offer," Kim answered with a polite smile as Tommy nodded and she got in line.

She came back to the table a few minutes later with her drink in hand and sat across from Tommy. She hadn't recognized him from behind because she hadn't seen him without his trademark long hair before but she liked the new look. It was more sophisticated and it went well with the little soul patch he had on his chin.

"So…" Tommy muttered, trying to break the silence.

"So…" Kim returned awkwardly "Uh, what brings you to Los Angeles?"

"Paleontology conference," Tommy answered shortly as Kim got a shocked look on her face.

"Paleontology? Like, dinosaurs and stuff?" Kim asked in surprise and Tommy nodded "Wow. I didn't peg you for that at all. How's that going for you."

"It's good. I got my doctorate a few years back and I teach high school science in a little town called Reefside," Tommy answered as the tension between them began to slowly disappear "Congratulations on the Olympics by the way. I tried to call you after the games but you didn't return my call."

"Reefside, huh?" Kim asked, ignoring the last part of what Tommy had said. She knew the confrontation would come but she wasn't ready for it yet. "Didn't they have Rangers in Reefside?"

"Yep," Tommy replied and he knew what was coming next so he didn't even wait for her to ask "Black."

Kim nodded her head and tried to conceal the smile on her face. Being a Ranger had been Tommy's life as a teenager and it didn't surprise her in the least that he was still doing it even if he was nearing thirty.

"Sorry about being late," Kim muttered quickly to avoid another long silence "Traffic sucks in L.A. especially around this time of the day."

"It's okay," Tommy said reassuringly "I was late to plenty of things when we were kids. Turnabout's fair play or so they say. So what about you? I mean, I know about the school and the Olympics and everything but what else have you been up to?"

"It's really just the school for me. It takes up so much of my time," Kim answered as Tommy nodded slightly "Don't get me wrong, I love it and it makes me happy to know I'm helping train future stars but I've always had this feeling like something's missing. Do you ever get that feeling?"

Tommy knew Kim was trying to bait him and that left him with a decision. He could either go along with it or turn the tides and put the pressure on her.

"Eh, not really," he said simply as Kim got a dejected look on her face "Between teaching and keeping up with the Ranger teams, I don't really have time to think about anything else."

_Touché, Oliver. You've finally learned how to play the game_ Kim grumbled to herself "Any special women in your life?"

"Just Haley," Tommy answered, watching as Kim's expression clearly got sadder.

"Is that your girlfriend?" Kim asked softly.

"Nope," Tommy replied, not saying anything else.

They had played this game before but it had always been Kim on the winning side. He had her right where he wanted her and wasn't about to let her get any sort of advantage over him.

"Wife? Fiancée?" Kim asked again and Tommy shook his head "Who is she then?"

"After over ten years I'm surprised you care," Tommy answered and immediately knew he had gone too far "Sorry. Haley's a friend of mine from grad school and she helped me with the team. She's probably the only woman I actually trust."

"Oh," Kim murmured, not seeing the smile on Tommy's face "Look, clearly this was a bad idea. You obviously don't want to talk to me so I'm just gonna go, okay?"

Tommy just nodded his head as Kim stared back at him in surprise. She was hoping that he'd make some kind of move to try and stop her but he didn't even flinch when she said she was going to leave. Kim muttered a goodbye and picked up her purse as she turned for the door, tears quickly filling her eyes.

"Now's the time to make your move, my friend," Anton muttered as Tommy looked to his left in shock. He didn't even see Anton when he walked in and then he realized that it was because he was the man hidden behind the newspaper. "Go before it's too late."

Tommy nodded his head quickly and, without a second thought, sprinted out of the coffee shop. Kim was sitting in her car, hands buried in her face as Tommy crept stealthily around the car. Kim jumped from her seat as Tommy opened the passenger side door and slipped in next to her.

They sat there for a few minutes in silence, neither of them really knowing what to say to the other. Kim was sobbing hard now and, instinctively, Tommy reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder which got him a small smile. Even if it was small, in Tommy's eyes it was still progress.

"I'm sorry for how I acted inside, Kim," Tommy admitted "You didn't deserve that. I just…why don't you ever call me back? It's not like I haven't tried to stay in contact with you. Everyone from Jason to Justin knew what I was doing except for you. And not for lack of trying on my part, either."

"I know. I guess I was scared. Obviously you read the interview and you know how I feel," Kim answered sadly "The only reason I even did that interview was out of the hope that you'd read it and see that I still care about you. That I never stopped caring about you. I didn't know how to say it to your face. Clearly, I've never been good about telling you how I felt, huh?"

"That's an understatement," Tommy chuckled "You know, I never ever thought we'd break up but I always hoped that, if we did, we'd still be friends. Even if I couldn't be your boyfriend, I still would have liked to be a part of your life. It was so hard to watch the Olympics on TV and see Jason and Trini in the stands knowing I should have been there with them to cheer you on."

"You actually watched?" Kim asked in surprise.

"Every single event," Tommy answered with a nod "You were better than Ivanova too. I yelled at the TV for almost an hour when they gave her first place in the floor exercise."

"Thanks. That means a lot," Kim said with a smile "Look. I know I owe you a lot of explanations, Tommy but I really don't want to talk about everything in a Starbuck's parking lot. Would you be okay with going back to my apartment? It's quiet and I could really use something stronger than coffee if you catch my drift."

"Yeah, we can do that," Tommy replied "I'll follow you in my car."

Kim nodded her head in agreement and then was caught completely off guard as Tommy leaned in and quickly kissed her on the cheek. Before she could react or say anything, he had jumped out of the car and shut the door behind him. When he was finally in his car, Kim squealed like a teenaged girl who just got asked to the prom by her crush.

Only one man had kissed her since she broke up with Tommy and the thought of Robert kissing her nearly made her vomit. Robert was the type that couldn't take a hint and it took a knee to the groin and a punch in the face from Kim to finally stop his advances. They had a couple classes together in college and, while Kim just wanted to be friends, Robert had more in mind.

And it wasn't like she didn't want to date, either. She tried a few dates in college with guys her friends knew but they never worked out because…because they weren't Tommy and would never be Tommy.

Kim pulled up to her apartment building with Tommy just a few seconds behind her. As Tommy got out of the rented Mercedez coupe, he let out a chuckle at her vanity plates that read _PNKCRNE_. She offered Tommy a drink when they got into her apartment and he graciously accepted the beer she handed to him.

While Kim fixed her drink, he took a few minutes to observe the décor of the apartment. There were a ton of pictures on the walls, mostly of Kim with her gymnastics friends and it struck Tommy odd that there weren't that many of the Rangers but that was because most of them were sitting in Kim's office.

She had a huge entertainment center in her living room and, right above her plasma TV was a piece of paper encased in a small frame. A smile crept across Tommy's face as he recognized the paper as the lyrics for the song Kim and Zack had written for him in high school.

_Happier times. Before things got really complicated._

When Tommy lost the Green Ranger powers, he thought it was the worst thing that could ever happen to him. Without powers he wasn't a Ranger anymore and he thought that meant he was going to lose his friends. Lose Kim. But they all showed him that day that you didn't need powers to be a Ranger and that you didn't have to be a Ranger to be friends with them either.

"Can we talk now?" Kim asked, snapping Tommy from his nostalgic thoughts as he turned around to find her sitting on the couch.

"I don't want to talk, Kim," Tommy answered with an exasperated sense of honesty "The past is the past. I'm over it. Really."

"You may be over it but I'm not," Kim snapped "I fucked up and now I want to make it right by you. So sit down and talk with me or leave and don't. It's up to you."

Tommy had just lost his advantage over her in less than ten seconds. In his momentary lapse of thinking, he had briefly let his guard down and Kim had turned the tables on him. The ball was in his court now and it was Kim's turn to wait for him to make a move. But, unlike Tommy, she wasn't going to go after him if he walked out on her. She was giving him one chance to do the right thing and Tommy knew that so he conceded and sat on the loveseat across from her.

"What do you want us to talk about?" Tommy asked softly.

"I don't want _us_ to talk about anything. I'm going to talk and you're going to listen and not say a word until I've said my peace, okay?" Kim asked in reply as Tommy nodded slowly "Good. Then the first thing I want to do is apologize. Not for breaking up with you but for the way I did it. You deserved better than a letter to the Youth Center."

"So you don't regret breaking up with me?" Tommy questioned as Kim stared at him angrily.

"I said don't interrupt. There's an old saying that goes something like 'Don't regret anything because, at one time, it was exactly what you wanted,'" Kim answered "I don't regret breaking up with you because it was what I wanted at the time. What I do regret, though, is not going after you when I realized how stupid I had been. I wanted to but you had Kat and Jason told me that you seemed happy with her. After how much I had hurt you I just couldn't try and get in between you and Kat."

Tommy opened his mouth to reply but quickly shut it at the look on Kim's face. She gave him a small smile and went back to her explanation.

"Then there was Murianthis. I had finally gotten the courage to come back and try to make things right with you but then between Divatox and the tournament and Katherine, I figured you wouldn't want to hear it," she continued "I've spent almost a decade hating myself for not fighting for you when I had the chance. I saw the look in your eyes when I was being possessed and I knew that, deep down, you still cared about me. Or am I completely off base with that assumption?"

"Can I answer?" Tommy asked hesitantly as Kim chuckled and nodded "I never stopped caring about you. Don't get me wrong, I wanted things with Katherine to be like they were with you but the way I felt about her was the same way I felt about Trini, Aisha and Tanya. I love them all but I could never be in love with any of them. The fact of the matter is that I haven't been truly happy since you broke up with me. Being a Ranger helped me cope but when that was taken from me I had nothing."

"Can I ask you a question and know that you'll give me an honest answer?" Kim asked and Tommy nodded "When we were kids, where did you see yourself in ten years? What did you picture your life to be like?"

"Honestly? Nothing like it is now," Tommy answered with an awkward laugh "Doctor of Paleontology wasn't exactly high on my list of things to do as an adult but, then again, neither was losing you. I was never sure what my future was going to be like but I always knew I wanted you in it. I, uh, I've never told anyone this before but I was going to ask you to marry me after graduation if we had stayed together."

Tears filled Kim's eyes as Tommy told her exactly how he felt. She had no idea that Tommy had been that serious about their relationship. Marrying Tommy had been like a dream to her as a teenager and knowing that she could have had that dream only made the pain worse.

"I'm so sorry," Kim muttered through the tears "I destroyed something so rare and perfect and beautiful. I loved how we didn't have to be physical to be so in love because it made the times when we actually did kiss that much more special. I hate myself for what I did to you."

"Don't. Kim, we were kids. Everyone I knew was expecting 'us' to fail at some point," Tommy replied "My mom told me that there were other fish in the sea and my dad even tried to sneak me in to a strip club after we split. Even if he had gotten me in I think I would have hated it because I would have looked at all those girls and realized none of them could compare to you. The fact that you looked better in a sundress and hat then any of those girls could have looked naked only made me realize why I loved you so much. You never had to dress slutty or provocatively or wear lots of makeup to look beautiful. You just were…and you still are."

Tommy scooted over from the loveseat and took a seat on the couch next to Kim. With gentle hands, he reached up and wiped the tears from her face as Kim gave him another smile and smiles were good signs for him.

"Where do we stand, Tommy? I mean, what do you want out of this? Out of us?" Kim asked.

"I don't want anything except to be in your life," Tommy answered "If that means you'll give us a second chance, then great. If you just want to be friends, then I'm okay with that too as long as we don't make these visits so sporadic. I hate that we don't ever talk or see each other."

"So do I. I hate that I've let it get to the point where I don't know anything about you or what you're doing anymore," Kim muttered "But what I do know is that I don't want to be friends. Jason, Trini, Adam, Zack and the others are my friends but you…you've always been so much more. I want to try and make things work between us, Tommy. I know things won't just be like they were before but maybe in time, if we both work at it, we can get to that point again. I miss you, Tommy. I miss hugging you and kissing you and holding your hand. I miss everything about you. I miss everything about us."

"You really want to give it another go?" Tommy asked as Kim slowly nodded her head "Anton and I are in town for a few more days. We have conferences at nine for the next two mornings and they usually last a couple hours. I want to spend every minute outside of that time with you and getting to know who you've become and I don't care if I have to camp out at your school to do it."

"You don't have to do that. I'll call Jessica and let her know I won't be in for a few days," Kim answered "Let's just spend the next few days getting to know each other again. If things go well while your in town, we can decide where we want to go from there."

"That's fine with me," Tommy replied as he reached out and hugged Kim tightly "But I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other real soon."

"I think you're right. But Reefside and L.A. aren't exactly close though," Kim muttered bitterly.

"It's only like a hundred miles, Kim. Besides, I'm not going to let any distance get between us again," Tommy retorted confidently "I can come down on weekends or you can come up to Reefside if you want to as well. Kira, my Yellow, is just like you were when we were teenagers. She sings, plays guitar, has her own little style that no one can quite match and she's a fireball if you piss her off. Ever since she saw the video she's been begging me to introduce you two. Now I finally can."

"The video?" Kim asked hesitantly "What video?"

"I made a video about the history of the Rangers for the kids to watch in case something bad happened to me," Tommy answered "There were a few scenes with you in there but they were all action shots. Ethan, who's like my Billy, managed to find stuff that wasn't intended for them and they ended up seeing a few pictures of you and I together. Kira, Ethan and Conner, my Red, backed me into a corner and demanded I tell them about you. Obviously, I didn't go into details about everything but I described you as best as I could. Kira wanted to meet you immediately when I told her you used to sing and play guitar. Conner wanted to meet you too but only because he thought you were hot."

"What do you mean he _thought _I was hot?" Kim asked sarcastically and then flipped her hair "I _am _hot."

"No you're not," Tommy answered as Kim stared back at him in surprise "You're beautiful and don't ever let anyone tell you different. Anything less than beautiful is an insult."

"Gee, you really know all the right things to say to make a girl blush, huh?" Kim asked with a chuckle as her cheeks grew red "Thank you, Tommy."

"For what? The compliment?" Tommy asked and Kim shook her head no.

"For listening and understanding. I was afraid you were going to hate me," Kim murmured "I was afraid to even go to the coffee shop but I'm so glad I did. And for giving me a second chance, too. I promise you that I'm going to make things right between us."

"_You're_ not going to do anything. We're going to do it together," Tommy replied as his stomach started to rumble "Sorry. Guess it's close to feeding time."

"There's a killer Chinese place down the street if you're up for a little walk," Kim enticed "I mean, if you want to go with me and everything."

"Like a date?" I asked and Kim shrugged her shoulders "I'll go with you if we consider it an official date. That means you have to let me open all the doors, pull out your chair, pay for dinner and walk you back to your apartment."

"I'm okay with that," Kim grinned "And if you're lucky, you might just get a kiss goodnight."

Tommy smiled at Kim as they got off the couch and left her apartment together. As they walked down the street towards the restaurant, Tommy slipped his hand into Kim's as if nothing had changed between them. If you think about it, nothing had really changed between them at all. They were still two kids hopelessly in love except, this time, they weren't afraid to let the world know how they felt about each other.

As they continued down the street hand-in-hand, Tommy bent down and gave Kim a soft kiss on the cheek. Tommy looked down at her with a smile and she caught him off guard by standing on her toes and kissing him on the lips. Tommy tried to reciprocate the kiss but Kim put a hand on his chest and stopped him.

"I just wanted to give you a sample of what you're going to be getting later," Kim teased and then got serious "I'm really glad we're taking another shot at us, Tommy, and I have this feeling that things are going to work out great."

"Me too, Beautiful," Tommy answered as they arrived at the restaurant "Me too."

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_Jeez, how much do I freaking love writing for you guys? I started this story at 11 yesterday morning in my Astronomy class, went to work 2:30, got off at 11 pm and still finished this story for you at 2:30 in the morning. Kinda funny about the 11 and 2:30, huh? I know it's not a chapter for _The Things You Don't Know_ but I was feeling spontaneous and adventurous so I went for this. This story is for everyone who reviews my other stories with a special shout-out to you if I PM you regularly and thank you personally for your reviews._

_I appreciate everyone who reviews my writings but I think every author has a few favorite people they really look forward to getting reviews from. If you like my writing please don't be offended if I don't mention you but instead, thank the people I do mention for keeping me going. I wouldn't still be writing if it wasn't for them. So thank you kdmarks, jps1926 and M-n-R (if you're still out there). You three make it easy and worth it to sit stay up until almost three am to write a story. Hope you liked this one guys, it was for you.._

_Cheers,_

_WK_


	2. Part II

"Mmmm, Peking pork and fried rice," Tommy exclaimed with a smile, greedily rubbing his hands together as the waitress set the plates down in front of Tommy and Kim "This smells delicious. If this tastes half as good as it smells, I'm going to have to call Rocky."

"Trust me, it does," Kim replied, smiling happily back at him "I never learned how to cook so I practically live off grilled cheese, canned soup and this place."

"You've got to be kidding me. Ms. Never-Put-Anything-Bad-In-My-Body is living off of Chinese and sandwiches?" Tommy asked sarcastically "I'm going to have to cook for you one of these nights. I took a couple of culinary classes in college so I can whip up a pretty good meal for you."

"I'd like that a lot," Kim replied as she looked up at Tommy from across the table with bright eyes and an even brighter smile on her face.

Before their food had come the pair had sat in absolute silence, arms extended across the table, hand in hand, relishing the moments that they were spending together. Having been apart for so long every moment between them was a special one for both of them.

Just being in Kim's company again was enough to make Tommy completely forget about the decade he had spent without her. As the pair ate their dinner they made small talk to try and catch up as best as possible. A lot had happened in the last ten years and it was going to take a lot of time to get familiar with one another again but they were both dedicated to the task at hand.

Tommy went deep in to detail in regards to the Dino Thunder team, telling Kim about all four of his Rangers and the struggles they had gone through. Kim nearly started to cry when Tommy told her about being encased in amber and almost dying. There had been so many scares in the past with Tommy losing his powers or getting abducted or being evil and it scared Kim to think that he had put himself right back in a position to get hurt. Even though she knew he was the best and had faith in his abilities, seeing Tommy in harm's way had never been easy for her to stomach.

Truth be told, he felt the same way about her only a lot worse. Every time Kim morphed he struggled with knowing she was going to be in danger. There had been times where, as the leader, Tommy had given serious thought to benching Kim for the sole reason that she wouldn't be a target. His male ego had almost gotten the better of him on more than one occasion but he managed to suppress it knowing that Kim was just as capable as he was.

Like the two old friends that they were, Tommy and Kim sat there engrossed in conversation about each other and the past ten years. Kim knew nothing of the Red Ranger mission and was completely shocked to find out both he and Jason had gone to the moon to fight the Machine Empire's remaining generals.

Since Kim was in the public eye there wasn't a whole lot going on in her life that the whole country didn't already know about. Walking down the street to the restaurant, the pair had been stopped a few times by fans with picture or autograph requests. One particular male fan looked extremely angry to find Kim in the company of a man and had shot Tommy a slew of dirty looks while Kim signed an autograph and posed for a picture with him.

Being a celebrity, Kim was used to all the attention but Tommy felt awkward about it. He was a self-proclaimed introvert, unwilling to expose himself to any more than a few of his closest friends and he liked it that way. Keeping his guard up prevented him from getting hurt even if it meant alienating himself from a lot of potential friends.

The day Jason saved Tommy and he became a Power Ranger was one of the best and worst days of his life. He had never had a lot of friends before moving from Arizona to Angel Grove and had suddenly been thrust into a circle of people who had known each other since they were literally in diapers. Thinking they'd never accept him, Tommy had almost turned down Jason's invitation to be a Power Ranger but their persistence showed him that you could know nothing about someone and still embrace them with open arms.

That experience was the reason Tommy opened up about his life to Haley so easily and it was also the reason he never harbored any animosity towards Kim. Even if, deep down inside, her actions had hurt him, he could never turn his back on someone who had meant so much to him no matter how badly he wanted to.

However, that same experience was what prevented him from having more than just a few close friends. The trust and faith his teammates had put into him put him in to a mind frame where he thought he couldn't trust anyone but a few select people. Jason and Kim had been two of those people for obvious reasons but how Tommy befriended Anton and Haley were completely different stories altogether.

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_Flashback_

_1998, Stanford University_

A nineteen year-old Tommy Oliver sat in the library at Stanford with a textbook in front of him and a frustrated look on his face. There was a pretty brunette sitting next to him with an equally frustrated look but for other reasons. Math had never been one of Tommy's strong suits so he had asked the girl he sat next to in trigonometry to tutor him.

She had been tutoring him for a while and he still wasn't getting what she had been trying to explain to him but it wasn't for lack of trying. Tommy had been diligent about the tutoring sessions, refusing to let himself fail a class just because he didn't put out any effort but every time he started to understand something the class would move on to a new formula or equation that he didn't comprehend.

"Look Tommy, we've been going over this stuff for two weeks now. This equation won't work if you multiply both sides by 'b' no matter how much you want it to," the woman explained, trying to remain calm but with a clear hint of frustration in her voice.

"But why not?" Tommy persisted "Isn't that what the professor said to do?"

The brunette, a woman named Haley who was a New Zealand import with just a residual hint of an accent, rolled her eyes and tried to put on her best smile for him. She had been tutoring Tommy for months in Trigonometry and what had started simply, an easy way for her to make some extra money to pay for college, had quickly become something much more to the both of them.

They had the relationship of a loving couple just none of the intimacy or the arguments that came from being "involved" with someone. In a mutual understanding, neither one of them had ever tried to go any further than a friendly hug or innocent spooning. They were the best of friends; able to cuddle on cold nights, support one another through tough times and just keep each other company without any worries of sexual tension or misreading the other's feelings and hurting them.

Tommy had broken down one night, on what would have been his five year anniversary with Kim and had completely lost it in his apartment, right in front of Haley who had come over to help him study. He explained everything to her and she listened compassionately, never once complaining about having to listen to Tommy's rant. They fell asleep on the couch that night, wrapped in each other's arms and, when Tommy had woken up, he expected there to be some awkwardness between them but none ever came.

He actually felt comfortable around Haley, knowing that they were never going to be more than friends. A friend was what he needed which is what allowed him to really open up to her about his past. They had gone to see a movie together, one that was intentionally picked by Tommy because of who was in it. When the credits rolled he beamed proudly that his friend Adam Park, had finally made it big.

Adam had a job that he enjoyed doing and that paid well too. As a Hollywood stuntman, he had taken bumps for some of the most famous actors in the world but he had always wanted more. He took acting classes and eventually landed a supporting role in a pretty major film. After that, his career began to skyrocket.

Haley was interested to know how Tommy knew Adam so he explained that they had gone to high school together and, in a momentary lapse of judgment, had actually blurted out that they "fought evil together." Her interest spiked at that point and she practically demanded answers from him once he had let that piece of information slip. Unable dig himself out of the deep hole he had put himself in, Tommy relented and made Haley promise that she could never tell a soul what he was going to tell her.

Initially, Haley had agreed to the promise simply because she wanted to know what Tommy was talking about but, after he explained his past, her motivation had changed. She realized that Tommy had trusted her with a secret that only one outsider, his brother, had ever known about and she promised herself that, from that point on, she would always be there to support him.

There was a certain sense of pride she felt in knowing that Tommy had confided in her with such a big secret, one that very few people actually knew about. As an undergraduate, Haley had heard everything about the shy, introverted, quiet man and how he rarely spoke to anyone on campus unless he was spoken to first. She was taken aback when, after just two weeks of sitting next to him in freshman Trigonometry, he asked her to tutor him.

Tommy had always been a proud man and asking for help wasn't an easy task for the man who had saved the world hundreds of times as a teenager. It took a few weeks of struggling but eventually he put his foolish pride aside and got up the courage to approach Haley after class and ask her to help him. He hated having to ask for help but spending time with her quickly changed his perspective.

Haley's relationship with Tommy had started out as something completely platonic; Tommy paid her and she tutored him, nothing more and nothing less but as time wore on and they spent more time together the pair grew closer. They clicked mostly because they both needed someone, a friend, that they knew they could actually trust. Haley had had a boyfriend when Tommy met her and it took every ounce of self-control he had not to pummel the guy after Haley caught him cheating on her and called Tommy in tears to tell him.

They weren't even really friends when Haley told him about that but her openness and his reaction was what initially drew the pair together and was the foundation for what would eventually become the perfect friendship. When Tommy finally opened up to her about his past, Haley felt special because she had been able to break down the "Wall of Oliver" as all the girls with crushes on him referred to it.

It was an even sweeter victory for Haley because she hadn't just thrown herself at him like the all other girls frequently did. She had simply been there for him when he needed her and Tommy would always love her for the support she showed him. Many a jealous glare was thrown in Haley's direction due to her association with Tommy, especially when the pair started spending more and more time together in public.

They both knew that everyone thought they were a couple and Tommy was perfectly content to let them think that because it meant no one, predominantly females who just thought he was good looking, would bother him anymore. Haley had also been happy to oblige because she had finally found someone she could trust and confide in without worrying about a messy breakup or things going sour and him throwing everything back in her face.

"You can't multiply by 'b' because there's no 'b' in the equation," Haley continued to explain "The variable you're going to multiply with actually has to be in the equation. You know, you can't just pull random letters out of your ass and hope that they work."

"Trig sucks," Tommy muttered angrily "I'm a Sports Medicine major for God's sake. What am I ever going to need trigonometry for?"

"You never know, Tommy. What happens if, in a year or two, you decide to change your major?" Haley asked "We're still freshman after all and most of us haven't even thought about picking a major. You have at least three years to change your mind. Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

"Come on, Haley. It's not like I'm going to become a doctor or anything," Tommy muttered, his lips spreading into a wide grin as he threw out the first thing that popped into his head "I can just see it now. Tommy Oliver, Doctor of Paleontology. Yeah, right. Like that will ever happen."

"Like I said before, you just never know," Haley replied with a smile of her own "After your previous experiences with our prehistoric friends, it definitely wouldn't surprise me if you did something with dinosaurs. I could see you in five or six years with short hair and glasses, wearing a lab coat and boring the hell out of kids saying the same thing about science that you're saying about trig."

"Yeah, sure thing Ms. I'm-Going-To-Write-For-_Rolling-Stone_," Tommy shot back with a playful nudge "I can't wait until you get older and become something lame like a rocket scientist so I can laugh at you and throw this conversation right back in your face."

At the time, they had both rolled their eyes and laughed it off not realizing just how real their joking statements would turn out to be.

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_May 2002, LAX_

Tommy put his arms around Haley, wrapping her in a tight hug as he prepared to get on his flight to Egypt, 7,000 miles away from everything he knew and was familiar with. After two years of trying his hand at Sports Medicine and failing miserably, Haley's premonition had actually come true and Tommy had taken a sudden interest in dinosaurs midway through his junior year which was why they were standing together in the airport.

A professor of Tommy's had put him in contact with a man named Anton Mercer, a world renowned scientist who was looking for a few good interns. Tommy's knowledge of the dinosaurs and prehistoric times during the interview with Anton had impressed him enough to offer Tommy a non-paying position as a researcher instead of just an internship.

Anton knew that Tommy was far overqualified for just a standard internship and he didn't want to waste his talents by putting him in a position where all he'd do was file paperwork and fetch coffee for employees. But he wasn't going to pay him either, especially when he knew Tommy would jump at the opportunity to do researching even if it was for free.

Tommy graciously accepted the part time position at Mercer Industries in the summer of 2001 and, a year later, he was getting ready to go on what would prove to be the biggest dig in the history of paleontology. It was during that summer in Egypt when Tommy, Anton and a man named Terrence Smith would discover the dinosaur DNA that Tommy and Anton used to create things like the Dino Gems, Raptor Riders and Tyrannodrones.

For something that should have been a monumental discovery in the world of paleontology, it had turned into an absolute disaster. They should have won Nobel Peace Prized but instead all three of them had nearly lost their lives. Prior to going on the dig, Anton had told Tommy and Terrence that they were competing for a paying position at Mercer Industries and that what they did with their findings would dictate who got the job.

Where Tommy was confident in his abilities and what he was capable of, Terrence was the exact opposite. He started working too hard and got careless, resulting in a horrible accident that had left him on the brink of death. If it hadn't been for Anton's equally overzealousness which caused him to turn himself into Mesogog, Terrence surely would have died. Without the protection offered to him as the cyborg, Zeltrax, there was no way for his body to sustain itself.

With Anton's transformation into Mesogog the battle lines had been drawn, pulling Tommy away from the man who had given him a chance to do something special. Even if Anton was no longer a human, Tommy was going to work as hard as possible to fix that. It was the least he could do for the man who had given him an opportunity to do something not many people actually got a chance to do.

As Mesogog, Anton would forever be Tommy's sworn enemy but, as a human, Tommy loved Anton like he was his own father. He had taken Tommy under his wing, given him a chance to make something out of his life and offer his guidance to the student. Tommy would forever be indebted to Anton for that.

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"So what do you want to do now that dinner is over?" Kim asked sheepishly as they walked back towards her apartment hand in hand.

Tommy still had to be up for another conference at seven the next morning and it was already getting close to midnight. As much as he never wanted to let Kim out of his sights again, he was forced to tell her that he had to say goodnight once they reached her apartment.

Kim gave him an understanding look but you could tell that neither of them ever wanted to be apart from each other again. As they said goodbye, Tommy held Kim closely for almost five minutes wishing he could just stop time and enjoy the moment forever.

"I have to go, Kim," Tommy said finally, trying to pull away but Kim wouldn't let him go "Don't make this any harder than it already is, please. I don't want to leave Kim but I have to be at another conference tomorrow."

"You could always stay here," Kim enticed "I have a few things to take care of at my school in the morning and I could drop you off at your hotel on my way."

"What happened to taking it slow?" Tommy asked "I don't want to rush in to anything that we'll regret in the morning. I want this to work and I'm committed to us but I'm just not ready for that kind of commitment yet and I think if you really think about it, you aren't either."

"I wasn't talking about anything like that," Kim replied "I want to take it slow too but that doesn't mean you can't take the couch. I just feel like we've missed out on so much time and I don't want to be away from you when we've been apart for so long already."

Tommy nodded his head in understanding as he reached out and pulled Kim in to another warm and loving embrace. He agreed to stay with Kim for the night as long as they both agreed that neither one of them was going to try and take things too far. Tommy knew they'd probably end up on the couch in a session of passionate kisses and he was okay with that as long as it stopped there.

With Jason or Zack or any of the other guys, Tommy would joke about his sexual conquests in great detail because that's what guys do with each other. It's all about who's gotten laid recently and who's gotten laid the most when they get together. Tommy or Jason always won and no one ever doubted either one of them when they talked about their latest and greatest fling.

In all reality though, he had never been with a woman in that way but he couldn't let the guys know that. Maybe it was the values his parents instilled in him that sex should be something between two people who love each other. Or maybe it was that he was just holding on to the hope that he and Kim would have another chance. Both were true actually and now that he had Kim back he didn't want to mess things up by rushing in to something they weren't prepared for.

For as naïve and innocent as Kim had been as a teenager, real life had hardened her approach to, and outlook on, life in general. She no longer went through life turning a blind eye to the truths of how people really behaved and she assumed Tommy had probably been with numerous women in the past. Surprisingly, even though she was wrong, the thought of Tommy with another woman didn't bother her because he was with her now and that was all she cared about.

She had seen Tommy all through high school with his long brown hair and deep brown eyes that caused almost every female student, and a few teachers as well, at Angel Grove High to fall head over heels for him. Seeing him with his short hair and soul patch, so grown up yet so young at heart, Kim was sure that he was still dealing with the same stuff but where most girls would be jealous of the attention Tommy got it didn't bother Kim in the slightest. She trusted Tommy with her heart back then and he had never let her down before so she had no reason to think that this time was going to be any different.

Kim handed Tommy a beer and then sat down next to him on the couch, curling up against him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. You could tell just by looking at them just how much they genuinely enjoyed being around each other again. They didn't even have to say anything to each other, their actions spoke loud enough.

Tommy with his arm around her, acting like he was her protector. Kim curled up next to his side, knowing exactly what Tommy was thinking, content to let him believe whatever he wanted.

"How many women have you been with?" Kim blurted out suddenly causing Tommy to spit his beer out.

Kim jumped back in shock at Tommy's sudden action and he rubbed his chin embarrassingly with his shirt sleeve to wipe the beer off. He hadn't been expecting the question she asked and she hadn't been expecting the reply he gave either.

Tommy looked down at Kim and saw the look in her eyes that said she wasn't going to back down from her question. With a single deep breath he set his bottle down, turned towards Kim and took her hands in his own before exhaling.

"None," Tommy admitted painfully, sure that he was far behind in experience with Kim "I could have if I wanted to but sleeping with someone who wasn't you never appealed to me. I've been holding out for you since I was a kid. Pretty lame that I'm 27 and never had sex, huh?"

Kim looked like she was about ready to burst from the seams. She had been so sure that Tommy was an experienced veteran with numerous sexual experiences. Finding out that he was in the same boat as her was like a breath of fresh air. If their relationship evolved like they both thought it would and ended up reaching the point where they were both ready for that kind of commitment, she wouldn't feel weird or awkward that she didn't really know what she was doing because Tommy would be just as clueless.

Something about what Tommy had said made Kim's eyes slowly start to fill with tears of happiness. The fact that he cared about her that much, even after she had done so much to hurt him, made her feel special for the first time since they were teenagers. Tommy always had a way of doing things or saying things that made Kim feel like she was the most important person in the world to him.

In all actuality, she really was the most important person in the world to him. From the first day that they met in the hallways at school Tommy had immediately been drawn to the petite brunette with a smile that could melt hearts and a personality to match. There was something about how nervous she looked when they talked for the first time that made Tommy fall head over heels in love with her and promise himself that he would never do anything to hurt her.

Less than five hours after their first meeting in the hallway Tommy was chosen by Rita Repulsa and turned into her Evil Green Ranger. When Jason saved him he realized that he had promised himself he was never going to hurt Kim and had already done it a ton of times in less than a week of actually knowing her.

The guilt Tommy felt over what he had done was unexplainable and almost unbearable to the point that he was prepared to walk away and never talk to any of them again. Jason's persistence and Kim's warm smile and bubbly personality eventually got him to change his mind though and now he was glad that he hadn't walked away like he wanted to at first.

If he had stayed with his initial instincts his life would have been an extremely boring one to say the least. He never would have gotten the chance to experience so many incredible things like going to different planets, saving the world and making so many great friends along the way. He also never would have gotten the chance to make things right with the girl he fell in love with the moment he saw her.

"How about you?" Tommy asked with a sly grin on his face "How many men have been ravaged by "America's Sweetheart?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kim shot back sarcastically "Let's just say that you're the only one I've ever wanted to go that far with and our boats are floating in the same direction and leave it at that."

"Really?" Tommy asked in reply, Kim nodding sheepishly "I can't believe that, at 27 years old, neither of us have done anything more than kiss. Part of me feels like I've missed out on something but the other part of me is glad I didn't do anything with someone I didn't love and care about."

"Me too," Kim replied, curling up against Tommy's side once more "For the first time in ten years I feel happy. And safe too. Being in your arms again reminds me why I loved it so much when we were kids. I feel like nothing can happen to me if you're nearby."

Tommy loved that he could still get the same reaction from Kim that she gave to him when they were teenagers. Knowing that Kim still felt comfortable and safe in his arms was an incredible feeling. They had always been so close, able to tell each other anything, when it abruptly ended. He hated having to go ten years without Kim before he could hold her again but, to him, having her there at that moment was worth it no matter how tough it had been on him.

You just couldn't help but look at them together and have hope that true love actually existed and really was possible. With so much bad in the world they were like a little ray of sunshine to each other and they made each other happy, something neither of them had really been in years.

"You should come up to Reefside sometime soon," Tommy said quietly, his fingers tracing lines on Kim's lower back that caused her to shiver slightly "Kira really would love to meet you and you guys would get along so great. God, there's so many people I want you to meet. Haley and Anton and Conner and Ethan and Trent and Haley…"

"You already said Haley," Kim corrected with a smile, Tommy smiling embarassingly "Tell me about the woman who was able to tame The Great Tommy Oliver."

"We met at Stanford when we were both undergrads and I sat next to her in trigonometry my freshman year. She was incredibly smart and I needed help so I asked her to tutor me," Tommy explained "It started off where it was just the tutoring thing but we both realized that we really had a lot in common and we eventually became really great friends. You and her are the only two women besides my mom I've ever really truly trusted."

"Did you guys ever, you know? Did you…" Kim muttered slowly as Tommy smiled and waited for it "Date? Sorry. That's not my business. I shouldn't have asked that and you don't have to answer."

"It's okay, Kim. I don't mind. It's not like I have anything to hide or be embarrassed about," Tommy replied "But no, we didn't date. Haley's a very pretty woman and she has such a sweet and caring personality like you which is why I was drawn to her but it's always been strictly platonic between us. We spent so many nights crying in each other's arms or drinking and laughing until we passed out. We seriously thought about it but neither of us was willing to risk losing such a great friendship by trying to date. I love Haley with all my heart and would do anything for her. I just don't love her in the way that I love you."

"Aww, you're so sweet. You know I've always loved you," Kim smiled, leaning in to kiss Tommy's cheek and causing him to blush a little "How did we get so lucky? I never thought we'd even see each other again after Murianthis and now we're taking another shot at this. It's crazy."

"We're just meant to be together, Kim. As clichéd and silly as that sounds, I think there's no real explanation other than that," Tommy reasoned, Kim nodding in agreement "I've spent the last ten years trying to get over you and move on because, as much as I wanted this to happen, I was starting to think it wasn't going to. As soon as I read your interview every feeling for you that I had tried to suppress came rushing back at me all at once. Even though I acted like a dick earlier, seeing you in the coffee shop just made me fall harder for you."

Kim nodded with a smile on her face as she looked in to Tommy's eyes and they both knew what was coming next. Tommy bent his head and leaned in for a single kiss, soft and with love like all of their kisses were. It was only one kiss like always but, for Tommy, it was amazing.

Kissing Kim was like heaven on Earth for him and he cherished every single time their lips met in a loving embrace. Kim pulled back after a few seconds, biting her lip and smiling brightly with Tommy doing the exact same thing.

"You are so amazing," Tommy said softly while stroking Kim's hair "But I don't think one kiss was enough. Can I kiss you again?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Kim laughed as Tommy leaned in for another kiss.

One kiss turned to two and before they knew what had happened they were kissing like they had never kissed before. It started off slow, quickly picking up the pace as their mouths opened and closed rapidly and they tried to keep pace with each other.

A few minutes later Tommy pulled back to catch his breath while Kim leaned against the back of the couch and smiled like she was seven on Christmas morning. Tommy smiled and reached over to pull her back close but, as he leaned in acting like he was going to kiss her, he switched gears and flipped her in to a spooning position. Kim exhaled loudly, happy to be next to Tommy with his arms wrapped around her, holding her closely and not letting go.

Tommy reached behind him, grabbing a blanket from off the top of the couch and throwing it over Kim and himself. Kim nestled in closer to Tommy, both of them allowing the warmth of the blanket and their bodies pressed against each other to help carry them off to sleep.

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_Well, I guess this chapter shows you what my decision was, huh? I thought long and hard about doing this because this story could have stood alone as just a oneshot but I also realized that there was a lot that I could do with it as well. Since this was just going to be a oneshot, I have no idea where this story is going to go but hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter. Remember to leave a review, guys._

_-WK_


	3. Here

Tommy rolled over around ten o'clock the next morning to the sight of a couch no longer occupied by Kim and the smell of fresh coffee coming from the kitchen, wafting into the living room and teasing his nose. He let out a loud groan, stretching on the couch to try and wake up as he wondered just where Kim had gone off to.

After curling up with Kim on the couch the night before, he had emptied the contents of his pockets so that his cell phone and car keys weren't digging into one of them while they slept. Not knowing what time it was, he groggily reached over for his cell phone and found that it was no longer on the table where he had left it. The smell of the hot coffee, however, was enough to take his mind off the missing phone and he made his way into the kitchen to pour himself a cup.

It took him a few minutes to find the coffee cups, sugar and milk and, as he sipped his coffee, he noticed his phone sitting on the ledge of the kitchen counter. There was a pink post-it note stuck to it with a handwritten message from Kim that said simply _Check your voicemail. Love you, Handsome._

Tommy smiled as he turned on his phone and saw that he had a missed call and voicemail from Anton but as soon as he saw the time, he began to panic. He assumed that his colleague and friend was probably worried about him for not coming back to the hotel the night before along with the fact that he was obviously very late for their conference but he was wrong. He brought the phone to his ear, listening and smiling as the message from Anton was played back to him.

_Hey, Tommy, it's Anton. You have a very persuasive little lady friend but I'm sure you know that by now. I'm going to the conference alone. Enjoy your day with Kim and I'll talk to you later._

Kim obviously had gotten to Anton and Tommy knew firsthand that, when Kim wanted something, she didn't usually back down until she got exactly what she was after. He stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and smiling, waiting for Kim to show up so they could talk about the day ahead but, after five minutes of waiting, she still hadn't shown herself and Tommy was starting to get bored.

Having only really been in the living room the day before, he didn't realize just how big Kim's apartment really was. The living room and kitchen combined were at least as big as his whole house in Reefside was, if not bigger. There was a faint glow coming from down the hallway and, with Kim nowhere in sight, he decided to investigate and give himself a little tour of the obscenely large apartment.

As it turned out, the light wasn't coming from the hallway like he had thought but from a completely different area altogether. He turned the corner and found emptiness aside from a window, a single door and a sign hanging above it that read "Recording in Progress" with the words "Do Not Disturb" underneath.

He peered in through the window and found Kim sitting on a stool with an electric guitar over her shoulder, a pair of headphones over her ears and a microphone at her lips. Being careful to make as little noise as possible, he slowly pushed the door open and slid into the room without Kim noticing him. There was a keyboard sitting in the corner, playing a pre-recorded melody next to another machine that was letting out a soft bass line that fit perfectly with the chords Kim was playing on her guitar.

Kim had always loved music and Tommy had always loved listening to her play her guitar or sing for him. The memories of Kim writing a song and singing it for him always made him smile and this was no different. He leaned softly against the wall and listened as Kim started to sing.

_There's a place I've been lookin' for  
That took me in and out of buildings  
Behind windows, walls and doors  
And I thought I found it  
Couple times, even settled down  
And I'd hang around just long enough  
To find my way back out  
I know now the place that I was trying to reach  
Was you, right here in front of me_

_And I wouldn't change a thing  
I'd walk right back through the rain  
Back to every broken heart  
On the day that it was breakin'  
And I'd relive all the years  
And be thankful for the tears  
I've cried with every stumbled step  
That led to you and got me here, right here_

_It's amazing what I let my heart go through  
To get me where it got me  
In this moment here with you  
And it passed me by  
God knows how many times  
I was so caught up in holding  
What I never thought I'd find  
I know now, there's a million roads  
I had to take  
To get me in your arms that way_

_And I wouldn't change a thing  
I'd walk right back through the rain  
Back to every broken heart  
On the day that it was breakin'  
And I'd relive all the years  
And be thankful for the tears  
I've cried with every stumbled step  
That led to you and got me here, right here_

_In a love I never thought I'd get to get to  
Here  
And if that's the road  
God made me take to be with you_

_And I wouldn't change a thing  
I'd walk right back through the rain  
Back to every broken heart  
On the day that it was breakin'  
And I'd relive all the years  
And be thankful for the tears  
I've cried with every stumbled step  
That led to you and got me here, right here_

_And I'd relive all the years  
And be thankful for all the tears  
I've cried with every stumbled step  
That led to you and got me here, right here  
Oh, baby-Ooo  
Oh, got me here_

When the song was done, Tommy crept quietly behind Kim and wrapped his arms around her, causing her to jump up from her stool in shock. She looked up at him and smiled as their eyes met in a precursor to something else. Tommy had tears in his eyes and Kim reached her hand out, gently wiping them away from his face before kissing him softly on the lips.

"How much of that did you hear?" Kim asked sheepishly.

"All of it," Tommy answered "And it was beautiful, just like you. Have you ever thought of trying to get a record deal? You have an amazing talent, you know."

"Thanks. And yes, I have. In fact, I already do," Kim smiled back, happy that Tommy had enjoyed the song she wrote for him "I had an early mid-life crisis a little over a year ago and went down to Nashville to shop a demo I made. Lyric Street Records signed me about six months ago and I've been working on material for my album in my spare time."

"Really?" Tommy asked in surprise, Kim nodding in reply "That's awesome, Kim. I mean, I know gymnastics is your passion and everything but you're really good at this. That song was just…I don't even know how to describe it. Amazing, I guess."

"I just wrote it this morning. I think you know what it's about," Kim muttered, Tommy leaning in for another quick kiss "Did you see the note I left for you on your cell phone?"

Kim smiled sheepishly as Tommy nodded his head and smiled, signifying that he had indeed read the note from her. He put his hands on her shoulders and left them there, Kim leaning back and resting her head against his stomach.

"So what happened to going to your school this morning?" Tommy asked, rubbing Kim's shoulders "I thought you had some stuff to take care of."

"I did have stuff to take care of and it's all done," Kim answered leaving Tommy to wonder how she had done so much so early in the day "I went down and talked to Jessica. I'm going to sell my half of the academy to her."

"Why?" Tommy asked in surprise "You've always loved gymnastics so much. Why would you sell your school? I thought it was your passion."

"So did I but I was wrong. Gymnastics was something I did to get away from my house," Kim answered, Tommy nodding in understanding. He knew Kim's home life had been turbulent to say the least and that her parents' divorce had hit her hard. "Don't get me wrong, I love gymnastics and it's a huge part of my life but I just don't want to do it forever. You were the reason I stuck with it, Tommy. I wanted to walk away so many times but I kept going to make you proud of me. With you back in my life and this album, I just don't need gymnastics anymore."

"Kim, you didn't have to do anything for me. I would have been proud of you and supported any decision you made," Tommy replied, still massaging her shoulders gently "Just like I support you now. If this is what you want than more power to you but please, don't do it because of me."

"Tommy, everything I've done since I met you has been because of you," Kim replied "It always has been and it always will."

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_Flashback, 1999_

A nineteen year-old Kimberly Hart has just dismounted from the balance beam at the Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Orange County. She had been practicing her routine for months in preparation for the Olympics since the Pan Global Games had ended six months earlier.

Kim walked over to the side of the mat and picked up her water bottle as her teammates came over to where she was standing to congratulate her on her routine. She smiled appreciatively and thanked them but their words meant nothing to her.

"Do you want to go grab some dinner with us?" Jessica asked, Kim shaking her head that she didn't "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired. I think I'm just gonna head back to my room and get a goodnight's sleep," Kim answered "But you guys go have a good time. Bring me back some leftovers or something."

Jessica nodded and smiled before turning away with the rest of their teammates. Kim watched them until they were out of sight, picked up her bag and headed up the stairs for the apartment she shared with Jessica that was barely bigger than a college dorm room.

Once in her room she tossed her bag on the floor, collapsed on the couch and turned the television set on. Angel Grove was still relatively close to where she was living and it wasn't a rarity for the Power Rangers to make the news still. Every time she turned on the news she hoped to see Tommy or Adam, heck even Kat would have been okay but none of the new Rangers matched their fighting styles.

The Red Ranger was wild almost to the point of being careless and she knew that he couldn't have been Tommy. He was never careless but never too careful and this guy just simply wasn't him. The Black Ranger just didn't seem to have the confidence that Adam carried himself with and was clearly apprehensive in battle, something Adam hadn't been since he first joined the team. The style of the new Pink Ranger had similarities to Kat's but, having served with eight different Rangers, Kim could notice the subtle differences between Kat and whoever the new Pink Ranger was.

Silently, Kim wondered who these new guys were with the squares across their chests and where her friends had gone to. She cursed herself for the choices she had made in her life, the ones that had torn her away from everyone and everything she truly cared about.

There had been numerous times where Kim had thought about picking up the phone and calling one of them just to see how they were doing or what was going on but, after what she had done to Tommy, they all had acted rather coldly towards her. Truth be told, she knew she deserved the hostility and didn't blame them for how they treated her no matter how bad it hurt.

Rocky, who was always upbeat and didn't have a mean bone in his body had rarely spoken to her since she had sent the letter to the Youth Center. Even Adam who had never said an unkind word to any of his friends and teammates refused to speak to her unless it was absolutely necessary and he didn't have another choice.

Aisha, Jason and Trini were the only ones that would talk to her after she had broken up with Tommy. She was never really close with Kat or Tanya so not talking to them didn't bother her and everyone had lost contact with Zack after the Peace Conference so not talking to him didn't bother her that much either. With Billy being on Aquitar, Tommy was the only person with the technology available to communicate with him but she was pretty sure that if her friend had been on Earth, they wouldn't really be doing that much talking either.

Billy and Kim had always been close ever since Kim had defended him from a slew of bullies in the first grade but she knew that Billy's loyalties would always lie with the Rangers. He had seen firsthand the effects Kim had on Tommy both when they were together and when they were apart. When Kim broke up with Tommy, the effects it had on the team were clearly apparent and Billy had watched the team slowly come undone with their leader and strongest Ranger trapped in nothing but a constantly depressed funk. It had gotten so bad that Billy had reached the point that he was going to walk away from the team even if he hadn't had to go to Aquitar to stay alive.

Without realizing it, by sending the letter, Kim had not only alienated herself from Tommy but from the other people she loved as well. Sure, they had saved her on Murianthis but that was mostly because of Tommy's subconscious feelings for her and the fact that Jason was there when Divatox had abducted her. If it hadn't been for Tommy's feelings and Jason being in the wrong place at the wrong time, who knows what would have happened to her.

There was nothing on the news so Kim changed the channel and found a music video that she had always loved when she was younger. Scenes of Kevin Costner and Mary Mastrantonio as Robin Hood and Maid Marian were on the screen, coupled with the voice of Bryan Adams singing "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You."

The clips from the movie reminded Kim of Tommy so much; how he'd always been there to rescue her and how he'd always put her safety above his own. She had walked away from the best thing to ever happen to her, not because of him but because she wasn't strong enough to deal with the distance between them. A single tear slid down Kim's cheek as she reached underneath the small coffee table and pulled out a white photo album with the word "Memories" emblazoned on the front in fancy gold cursive.

"Why did I walk away from you?" Kim mumbled, tracing her fingers along Tommy's smiling face "I miss you so much. I'm so sorry for hurting you, my love. I will always love you, Tommy."

The phone started ringing and Kim reached over to answer it but changed her mind, deciding to let the answering machine pick it up. The single tear turned into a full on rampage of sobs and emotions when she heard the voice leaving the message.

_Hey Kim, it's Tommy. Listen, I know you're in Orange County doing your Olympic thing but I'm coming back to Angel Grove to visit Jason, Trini, Adam and Rocky in a couple weeks and I was thinking if you had a free weekend or something I could pick you up on my way and we could hang out for a little bit. I know they'd love to see you and I would to. So, uh, give me a call back. My number's 555-0438. Hope to talk to you soon. Bye._

Kim reached over and went to delete the message but changed her mind midway and hit the "save" button instead. She knew she couldn't call Tommy back and there was no way she was going to put herself out there for Adam and Rocky to chastise but, subconsciously, she was glad that Tommy had called her. It gave her hope that, even though she had hurt him badly, there was a chance he still cared about her.

"Everything I do," Kim muttered through tears, every picture of Tommy's smiling face making the tears fall harder "I do it for you. I'm going to win those medals, Tommy. I'm going to make you proud even if you aren't around to see me do it because I love you. I always will."

She closed the book and returned it to its' place under the coffee table before turning off the television and heading for her room. After changing into her pajamas and climbing into her bed she opened the drawer in her nightstand and pulled out a wrinkled piece of lined paper. Slowly, and with shaking hands, she turned on her bedside light and started to read the letter again.

_Dear Kim,_

_I just got your letter today and I don't really know what to say about it. You love me like your brother? How can that be possible when we've shared so many amazing memories together? I just don't think you're being honest with yourself by saying that and, truthfully, I think it's a pretty lame excuse. If you met another guy, that's fine but don't tell me that I'm like your brother because you know as well as I do that that's a flat out lie. Jason is like your brother, not me. I'm angry, Kim. I'm hurt, I'm frustrated, I'm sad, I'm pissed off and I don't know what to do. You're the only person I've ever loved and I care about you more than you'll ever know. You could have at least sent it to my house, you know. You should have seen how Billy, Adam, Rocky, Kat and Tanya reacted to it. Tanya doesn't even know you, only that I've always told her how amazing you were and even she was surprised. Adam read it out loud cus I was working out and it was embarrassing. I can't believe that after all the time we spent together you'd break up with me in a letter and send it to the Youth Center no less. I'm mad but not at you and I don't know why. We were supposed to be together forever, Kim. Maybe one day you'll realize that and come back where you belong because I know that I will never love anyone else the way I love you again. I love you, Beautiful and I always will. Please, come back where you belong. I need you._

_Tommy_

Kim would have been crying violently at this point but the music video and photo album had drained her of all the tears she had in her body. She returned the letter, the last letter Tommy would ever send her, to the drawer and closed it shut, trying to banish it from her thoughts. Upset and angry with herself, Kim drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep but not before promising herself that she was going to do everything in her power to make Tommy proud of her again.

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"So how did you convince Anton to let me stay with you today?" Tommy asked with a smile, he and Kim in the kitchen cooking lunch for themselves.

"You know how I am when I get a stick up my ass," Kim smiled, Tommy nodding in agreement "I just told him that we'd been apart for so long and that I really wanted to spend as much time with you as possible. Once I started whining and turned on the waterworks he couldn't say no."

Kim beamed proudly that she was able to get Anton to give Tommy the day off and Tommy was just as happy as Kim was. He smiled down at her and kissed her softly before turning back to the sliced chicken breasts cooking on the stovetop. Reaching over and grabbing a bowl, Tommy applied some of the homemade peanut sauce to the chicken while Kim flipped some French fries that were cooking in the oven. It was about as much cooking as she trusted herself with but Tommy was glad that he could cook for the woman he loved so much.

In another pan, Tommy was grilling some sandwich rolls for the Thai Peanut Chicken and the apartment was slowly starting to smell like a gourmet restaurant. Tommy wrapped his arms around Kim's waist and rested his head on her shoulder, gently kissing her neck and collarbone as Kim let out a quiet moan. She tilted her head back and kissed him on the lips when smoke started seeping out of the oven.

Tommy grabbed an oven mitt and pulled the door down as the smoke poured out, causing him to cough violently while trying to pull the fries out. With the smoke rising towards the ceiling he knew it was only a matter of time until the smoke alarm went off. He batted at it with the oven mitt, trying to get it to go in a different direction but, heat rises, and the alarm went off a few seconds later.

Kim put her hands over her ears while Tommy tried to find a way to get the alarm to stop. He pulled the chicken and bread from the stove so none of the other food got burnt then went back to trying to get the loud noise to go away. Kim looked embarrassed but Tommy gave her a reassuring smile and then ran into the living room to grab a chair.

He brought it into the kitchen and climbed on to it, reaching up, unscrewing the cover on the alarm and then pulling the battery out. Finally, the alarm stopped and Tommy hopped down, returning the chair to the living room as Kim followed him to escape the smoke. After putting the chair back he turned around and saw Kim standing behind him with tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Kim?" Tommy asked gently, reaching out and wiping at her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Tommy," Kim mumbled softly "I completely ruined your meal. I'm such an idiot."

Tommy silenced her with a single kiss and then led her back into the kitchen once the smoke had finally died down. He took one look at the oven and the burnt black fries and let out a hearty chuckle before turning the oven off.

"Well, when you set the oven to 550 degrees and the bag says 425, these things happen," Tommy laughed, Kim still visibly embarrassed "It's okay, Kim. It's not a big deal. We still have the sandwiches. Do you have any potato chips or anything?"

"I thought they'd cook faster if the oven was hotter," Kim admitted, Tommy continuing to smile at her as she grabbed a bag of Ruffles from the cabinet and inspected them "They're expired. Man, I'm just ruining everything aren't I?"

"You definitely wouldn't make a very good housewife," Tommy answered, kissing Kim on the cheek "But I still love you even if you can't cook. But next time I cook a meal for us, you're not allowed anywhere near the kitchen."

Kim let out a small chuckle and nodded in agreement as Tommy leaned down for another kiss then returned the pan of chicken to the stove so it could finish cooking. Five minutes later, when the chicken was done, Tommy scooped it into the rolls and carried their plates to the table. Kim followed behind with glasses of iced tea, the only thing she had made that hadn't turned out black and burnt to a crisp.

"There's something I need to talk to you about Tommy," Kim said seriously, surprising Tommy enough for him to set his sandwich down and stare at her "I hate having to tell you this but I wasn't expecting you to come back into my life when I found out either."

"What's going on, Kim?" Tommy asked with great concern "Please tell me that there isn't another guy or anything like that."

"No, it's nothing like that but if my first single is big I'm going to have to do a lot of promoting for the new album," Kim answered softly, tears filling her eyes again "I'll have to go back and forth from L.A. to wherever the record label wants me to go. I could be here one night, Vegas the next, Chicago, New York, anywhere."

"I'll go with you," Tommy replied, surprising both of them this time "I mean, if you want me to of course. If you don't, I'll understand but…"

Tommy was cut off by Kim throwing her arms around him, practically tackling him out of his chair and onto the carpeted floor below. She landed a flurry of kisses all over his face, covering his cheeks and forehead with lip gloss and peanut sauce. Tommy's arms wrapped around Kim's waist and he held her tightly while she continued to plant kisses all over him.

"Does that mean you want me to go?" Tommy asked, Kim pushing herself off of him and nodding "Good. I'll call Principal Randall and let her know I'm taking next semester off. She'll be mad but after what I did for her, she owes me one."

"What'd you do for her?" Kim asked in shock.

Tommy hadn't told her about Principal Randall and her alter-ego as Elsa, one of Mesogog's head generals. He got up from the floor and then explained to Kim everything about Elsa/Randall. When the story was finally over, Kim looked relieved that it hadn't been what she was thinking and Tommy couldn't help but laugh at her over-reaction to what he had said.

"I just got a great idea, Kim. Well, I think it's great at least," Tommy said excitedly, pulling his phone from his pocket "I mean, it's totally up to you of course but how would you feel if I introduced you to Kira. She's a great singer and has really been looking for a way to get into the music business. I was thinking that, if you liked how she sounds, maybe you could talk to the record label and see if she could sing a song with you for your album."

"Sure. That sounds like a good idea," Kim replied with a smile "I'll have to run it by the label of course but they've been pretty good about giving me creative freedom with my album so far. Why don't you call Kira when we're done with lunch and see if she can come down sometime in the next couple of weeks? Does that sound okay to you?"

"That sounds great to me. Kira's going to be so excited when I call her," Tommy answered, the grin on his face growing huge "I know you're going to love her, Kim. Ahh, I'm so excited. This is so awesome. My two favorite female Rangers together."

"I'm excited too but I don't want you to get your hopes up just in case things don't work out," Kim said in reply "I know how you get when things don't go your way. You're just like me and it'll drag you down if you put too much faith in this and it doesn't happen."

"I can't help it," Tommy replied with a sheepish smile "Once you meet Kira you'll feel the same way. I know you guys are going to get along great."

Kim smiled back at Tommy who leaned in for a kiss and then stood up from the table to take the plates into the kitchen. She said something about going back to the studio to work on something and Tommy gave her a smile and a wave, not really listening to what she was saying due to his excitement.

Since the kids had graduated the summer before he had talked to them semi-regularly, enough to know what they were up to but he hadn't seen any of them aside from during the winter holidays six months earlier. In fact, he had talked to Adam recently and was jealous that his friend had gotten to team up with Kira to fight alongside the Overdrive Rangers because Kira had always been one of his favorites due to her similarities with Kim.

After rinsing and loading the dishes into the dishwasher and disposing of the French fry debacle, Tommy pulled out his cell phone to call Kira and found that it was nearly dead. Not wanting to lose the call because of a dead battery, he grabbed Kim's house phone and turned it on. He brought it to his ear and waited for a dial tone but none came. Instead, he heard Kim engaged in a conversation with a voice that sounded an awful lot like it belonged to another former Yellow Ranger.

_You and Tommy are back together? No way. That's awesome, Kim. I'm so happy for you and Jason will be too when I tell him the news._

Tommy smiled at the thought of Jason and Trini as a couple. They had always been close but had never even seemed to consider dating each other when they were younger. Jason was always too caught up with his karate to pay much attention to anything else and Trini had had her eye on Richie for most of high school.

_Thanks, Tri. I still can't believe this is happening. It was so random the way it happened. I went to my school yesterday morning and there was a picture on my door with a note from Tommy on the back that said he missed me. I love him so much even though we've been apart for so long. I'm just afraid that I could end up hurting him again._

_Don't think that way, sweetie. Everything will be fine. You're both adults now and have a better grasp on your feelings, you in particular. Just go with the flow and see where it takes you. We've all been saying it for years that you guys were meant to be together and we knew it was just a matter of time before it happened again so enjoy your time with him._

_I will and thanks again. I'll talk to you later, Tri._

Tommy heard Trini say goodbye before the line clicked off and he returned the phone to the cradle with a smile on his face. He leaned against the counter for a few minutes until he heard footsteps coming closer and remembered he had forgotten to call Kira. Quickly, he tried to think of something to say to Kim when she asked if he had called her. She appeared a few seconds later and the first thing she said was what Tommy had been expecting.

"Did you talk to Kira?" she asked as she walked over to Tommy and he put his arm around her shoulder.

"Not yet," Tommy answered, trying to come up with a quick excuse "My phone is dead and I didn't want to use yours without permission so I was just going to wait until you came back out and ask you if I could use yours."

It was a long winded explanation but Tommy silently prayed that it had worked. Kim gave him an odd look but it only lasted a few seconds before she nodded her head, picked up the phone off the cradle and handed it to him. Tommy smiled and kissed her on the cheek before she grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and plopped down on the living room couch.

Tommy dialed Kira's number and brought the receiver to his ear with an expression of clear excitement on his face. He waited intently, listening as it rang a few times before another familiar voice, this time male, answered the line.

"Hello," the male said.

"Conner?" Tommy questioned "Is that you?"

"Dr. O?" Conner answered excitedly "Oh man, it's good to hear from you. What's going on? Kira and I were just talking about you and how much we wanted to come down to see you and Haley soon. So, uh, you and Haley getting it on yet or what?"

Tommy got a horrified look on his face at Conner's question. If it had been anyone else it would have been a surprised expression but nothing that came out of Conner's mouth surprised him anymore unless it was something completely intellectual of perceptive, things that usually came from the other kids. Luckily, he heard Kira snap at Conner and take the phone from him so he didn't have to answer the question.

"Sorry about that, Dr. O. You know how thick Conner can be sometimes," Kira said apologetically and sweetly "So what's up? How've you been?"

"I'm good and don't apologize for Conner. We both know he speaks before he thinks," Tommy replied, both of them laughing at the more than true statement "So, listen, do you remember my friend Kim that I told you guys about?"

"The gymnastics one that loves to sing?" Kira asked as Tommy chuckled his confirmation "Of course I remember her. I've been dying to meet her since you showed us that video. Why, what's going on? Did something happen?"

"Yeah. She just got signed to Lyric Street Records about six months ago," Tommy explained, the more he spoke the more excited his voice sounded "She's working on her new album and I suggested that you come down to L.A. and sing for her. She said if she likes the way you guys sound together that she'll talk to the record label about letting you sing a song or two with her on her album. That is, if you're interested of course."

"Are you freakin' serious?" Kira half-asked half-yelled, Tommy saying that he was "Oh my God I can't believe this! Of course I'm interested! When does she want me to come down? I can be there next weekend if she wants me to."

"Hold on one sec and I'll ask her," Tommy answered, removing the phone from his ear and looking at Kim "Hey, Kira said she can come down next weekend. Is that okay with you?"

Kim nodded and Tommy flashed her a bright and appreciative smile. Tommy had strong loyalties to the Rangers he fought with especially the younger ones that he had mentored. Time and time again he had told them he would do anything he could to help them if they needed it and he was making good on that promise.

"Kim said next weekend would be fine," Tommy replied, Kira screaming happily in the background "I'm in L.A. for the next couple days but I'm coming back to Reefside the day after tomorrow. I'll call you on Wednesday or Thursday to confirm everything but plan on me picking you up in Turtle Cove on the way to L.A. Tell Conner he can come if he wants and I'll put you guys up in a hotel room for the week…hold on just a sec, Kira."

Tommy was cut off by Kim waving her hand at him in disagreement. He looked at her in surprise and she rolled her eyes at the fact that Tommy was going to put his Rangers in a hotel room.

"They can stay here, Tommy," Kim said to him which only caused Tommy to smile brighter "There's plenty of room here and it'll give us all a chance to get to know each other."

"You sure?" Tommy asked and Kim nodded so he gave her a quick thumbs-up and put the phone back to his ear "Scratch the hotel room. Kim said you can stay with us at her apartment. I'll pick you guys up Friday night around seven or so and we'll go from there, k?"

"Sure thing, Dr. O," Kira replied, the excitement in her voice making Tommy even_ more_ excited"I can't tell you enough how much this means to me. You're awesome, Dr. O."

"Thanks, Kira," Tommy smiled "I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

Tommy hung up the phone and walked over to where Kim was sitting on the couch with a huge smile on his face. He sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing her softly on the cheek which caused Kim to blush a little.

"Thank you, Kim," Tommy whispered quietly "This means a lot to me and I know it means a lot to Kira. She's really excited."

"Good, I'm glad. I'm looking forward to meeting her," Kim replied with a smile "I'm gonna go take a shower and then we can go back to your hotel room so you can change. Since you're only in L.A. for a couple more days I want to show you around the city if you're up for it."

Tommy smiled and nodded, kissing Kim on the lips this time before she stood up and headed down the hallway towards her bedroom. When Kim was out of sight, Tommy nearly burst into tears of joy at how wonderfully everything had turned out.

His relationship with Kira was much like the relationship Jason had with Kim but it wasn't until he met the young woman that he understood exactly how a relationship like that really worked. He viewed Kira as a younger sister, someone to watch over and help along the way which was exactly what he was doing by setting her up with Kim.

With a smile on his face, Tommy laid back on the couch with his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling. Someone out there obviously knew what Tommy had been through and had decided that he deserved a little bit better luck which he did. With Kim back in his life and Conner and Kira coming to visit, things were finally starting to look up for him.


	4. Hollywood

Hollywood Boulevard is a fairly long street that starts on the east side of the Los Angeles suburb of Hollywood at Sunset Boulevard running northwest to Vermont Avenue before straightening out and continuing west until it hits Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The huge tourist attraction of a street is home to world famous places like Frederick's of Hollywood, the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium and Grauman's Chinese Theatre, drawing millions of people to the street each year.

Kim absolutely hated Hollywood Boulevard and almost every single thing that was associated with the street. The tourists who didn't know where they were going, the ridiculously busy streets and the overall dirtiness of the area was enough to make her never want to step foot on the street again. Tommy, however, had wanted to see Grauman's so Kim had obliged, albeit begrudgingly.

They had gone in Kim's BMW and had parked at the end of Sunset, opting to walk the street to avoid the seemingly never ending vehicle traffic that constantly packed Hollywood Boulevard. As soon as they had gotten out of Kim's car, Tommy had slipped his hand in hers before the couple began the long walk. He kept her close, thinking he needed to protect her even though he had never been to the city before and she had spent the last ten years of her life in the Los Angeles area.

In Kim's eyes, Tommy's over-protectiveness of her was very much a double-edged sword. Evers since they were in high school she loved that he wanted to be there with her, keeping her safe from the evils of Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd and the world in general. At the same time however, she knew she could defend herself better than Tommy gave her credit for and didn't like that he always felt the need to shadow her. But to have Tommy back in her life again she was more than willing to deal with it.

Their first stop on their Hollywood excursion was the world famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The historic theatre had opened in May of 1927 and had been home to numerous film premieres, parties and even two Academy Award ceremonies. Hundreds of celebrity footprints, handprints and autographs lined the street ranging from Charlie Chaplin and Joan Crawford in the 1920's to Steve McQueen and Kirk Douglas in the 60's to modern celebrities like Johnny Depp and Samuel L. Jackson.

"Check this out," Kim winked at Tommy before kneeling down, setting her hand inside a print and smiling "My hand is the exact same size as Marilyn Monroe's. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Not really," Tommy answered, Kim getting a look of disappointment on her face at his reaction "Sorry, I can't compare you to Marilyn Monroe, Kim. You're far more beautiful than she is. Not to mention you haven't slept with a Kennedy."

Kim couldn't help but smile at Tommy's joke/compliment combination as she got off her knees, walked over to him and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Tommy slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close and kissing her passionately in the middle of Hollywood for every tourist on the street to see. He didn't care if they were staring. He had Kim and that was all he cared about.

The pair stayed like that for a minute or two before breaking their kiss and looking at more of the cement marks left behind by Hollywood's most famous celebrities. Aside from the standard prints left behind my most celebrities, some stars had left special marks like John Wayne who had imprinted his fists and Groucho Marx whose cigar would forever be engrained in the cement.

"Look, Kim. It's KISS," Tommy smiled, sticking his tongue out as far as he could ala Gene Simmons "Rock and roll all night, baby!"

Kim laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist, Tommy bending down to kiss her on the top of her head. Once Tommy had had his fill of celebrity mementos, he and Kim continued up Hollywood Boulevard until they reached the Hollywood Wax Museum.

"Can we go in, sweetheart?" Tommy asked with puppy dog eyes, knowing that Kim couldn't resist "Pretty please with a cherry on top? I'll love you forever."

"Fine," Kim grumbled with a roll of her eyes, unable to say no to him "But you're paying."

Tommy nodded and pumped his fist excitedly as they walked in and he paid for two adult tickets, handing one to Kim and smiling brightly. Once inside the museum, they began their trek through the maze of wax figure celebrities. After passing by The Crypt Keeper, Jason Voorhees from _Friday the 13th_ and Freddy Kruger from _Nightmare on Elm Street,_ they wound up next to Michael Jackson.

"That's ironic," Tommy laughed as Kim rolled her eyes again and pulled her camera out of her purse "No way. Not happening. I am _not_ taking a picture with Michael Jackson."

"Oh, come on Tommy. Be a good sport," Kim encouraged with a smile "It'll just be for us. No one will ever see it, I promise."

"You promise?" Tommy asked and Kim nodded that she did "Fine, I'll do it but only one."

Kim smiled brightly as Tommy walked over to the wax Michael Jackson and stood next to him. As Kim prepared to take the picture, Tommy surprised her by putting his right hand over his crotch, cocking his head to the left and throwing his left arm high into the air. Kim snapped the picture and then ran over to Tommy, trying not to laugh as she stood on her tip toes and kissed him.

Tommy slipped his arm around her waist and led her down the hallway past The Beatles and Elton John until they reached a fork in the path. To the right was the Presidential Hallway and to the left was the Sports Hall of Fame which Tommy was really looking forward to seeing. He was disappointed, though, when Kim pulled him to the right and he turned his head just in time to catch a glimpse of Michael Jordan before being thrust face-to-face with John F. Kennedy.

They made their way through the President's rather quickly which wasn't surprising seeing how history had never been a favorite subject to either of them. After Kim had been sent back in time to the Wild West era and colonial Angel Grove and both had been turned into young children by Lord Zedd, neither one of them were very keen on history.

It took them a while but, an hour or so later, they had seen the whole museum and every figure inside it. Every figure except the ones in the Sports Hall of Fame, that is. Tommy tried to pull Kim in that direction but she refused to budge.

"What's wrong with you?" Tommy asked with concern "Why can't we go to the sports room?"

Kim looked embarrassed and kept her gaze down, not really wanting to look at him or give him any sort of answer. He put his fingers under her chin and lifted her head, planting a soft kiss on her lips before asking the same question again.

"I just don't like it in there, Tommy," Kim answered finally "If you must know, there's a figure of me in there and it's embarrassing. I don't like it at all and I don't really want you to see it," Tommy smiled and looked at Kim with pleading eyes "Thomas James Oliver, don't you give me that look. Fine, we'll go but you have to promise that you won't laugh."

"I promise you I won't laugh," Tommy replied, holding up three fingers "Scout's honor. Now let's go. MJ and The Great Bambino await."

Kim rolled her eyes as Tommy grabbed her hand and pulled her into the Sports Hall of Fame. Tommy stopped and posed for pictures with almost every single athlete in the room from Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods and Wilt Chamberlain to Alex Rodriguez, Pete Sampras and Joe Montana. After fifteen minutes of admiring wax athletes and taking pictures, they came to the 2000 Women's Olympic Gymnastic Team and Kim immediately froze on the spot.

The wax figures of her and her teammates had been done a few months after the Olympic Games and, while her teammates all turned out as close to lifelike as possible, Kim's figure had at least one major anatomical error and a fairly obvious cosmetic one as well. Every time she saw the wax replica of herself she got a horrified look on her face.

"You're boobs are not that big," Tommy said idiotically, pointing at the DD chest on Kim's figure "Those things are freakin' huge. Like, boom-pow-surprise huge."

Kim rolled her eyes and turned on her heels, sprinting away from Tommy and disappearing out of sight. He stared at her dumbfounded, not knowing what he had done wrong and then took off after her, chasing her outside and back onto Hollywood Boulevard.

"Kim, stop!" Tommy yelled, running up to her and putting an arm around her waist to stop her "I didn't mean to make you upset. I was just kidding and I didn't think you would be mad about it. I'm really sorry, Kim."

"I know. It's not your fault, I just don't like the way I look in there," Kim grumbled, biting back tears "My figure has blonde hair and big boobs. Every time I see that thing I think of Katherine and it just makes me upset because she replaced me. She was always so damn pretty with her deep blue eyes, huge chest and Australian accent. I'm just plain, old, average, flat chested Kimberly."

"No, you aren't. You're amazing, stunning, sweet and beautiful," Tommy said softly, squeezing Kim's hand tightly "I don't care if you don't have platinum blonde hair or big boobs. If I did, I would have stayed with Katherine. You are the most beautiful woman in the world, Kim."

"No I'm not. I'm ugly," she replied bitterly "I'll never be as pretty as Katherine."

Tommy stared at her in surprise, not really knowing what he should say or do. He knew that him being with Kat had upset her but not to this extent. Kim was jealous of Kat even though she and Tommy had been broken up for almost a whole decade.

"Kim, give me your camera," Tommy said sternly, extending his hand as Kim stared blankly back at him "Come on. Hand the camera over and wait in the lobby."

Kim gave him a puzzled look but handed over the camera as Tommy led her back inside the wax museum and left her in the lobby while he went and talked to the lady selling tickets. He kept his voice low even though Kim was out of earshot and she handed him a pad of paper and a pen. Tommy scribbled something on the paper, tore the page from the pad, thanked the lady and then ran back into the Sports Hall of Fame.

He found and elderly couple and approached them politely, asking if they wouldn't mind taking a picture for him with Kim's wax figure. The older woman smiled happily and took the camera from Tommy who went and stood next to the replica of his girlfriend. He got a look on his face like he smelled something funny and pointed towards the figure while holding up the piece of paper.

"Are you okay, young man?" the lady asked with concern and Tommy nodded in reply "If you say so. Kids these days."

The lady took the picture and then handed the camera back to Tommy before walking away with her husband and muttering something about today's youth and the world going to hell in a hand basket. Tommy just smiled and ran back out to the lobby to find Kim sitting in a chair and looking rather impatient in her waiting.

Tommy waved her over and she rolled her eyes but stood up and started walking to the other side of the room. Once she had reached him, he turned the camera back on and brought up the most recent picture, showing Kim the photo he had just taken with her replica. Kim smiled at Tommy's disgusted expression and the sign that read "The real thing is so much better."

"I love you, Tommy," Kim smiled and kissed him on the cheek "But you owe me for the wax museum. We're going to Frederick's."

Tommy stared blankly back at her, not really knowing if he was being rewarded or punished. He knew what Frederick's of Hollywood was famous for, having snuck a peek or two at a catalog his dad had kept hidden under the bathroom sink when he was a kid. He shrugged his shoulders in reply and slipped his hand into Kim's, leading her on the walk to the famous lingerie store.

On the way they passed the Hollywood Walk of Fame and stopped to admire some of the stars that lined the long stretch of sidewalk. Before they reached Fredrick's a few people noticed Kim and stopped her for autographs or pictures. She gave Tommy an apologetic look each time and he tried to smile back and pretend it didn't bother him.

He loved Kim and loved that she was good enough at something to be famous, however he didn't love the ramifications that came to someone with fame. It wasn't like she was on TV enough to be noticed everywhere they went but she had been an Olympian and some people remembered that. He had never really been in a position of known fame, having had his identity as a Ranger concealed and he wasn't used to it. But if it meant having Kim back in his life, he was more than willing to put up with it.

Eventually, they made it down Hollywood Boulevard and reached Frederick's which was at the tail end of the street. As soon as they walked in they were greeted by a saleswoman who was overly perky and immediately annoyed Tommy. She pulled Kim away from him to show her the newest and hottest items, leaving Tommy alone with two middle-aged women staring at him and giggling.

Tommy waved and smiled politely, not wanting to be rude to them but that only helped in making things worse than they already were for him. They continued to giggle louder and Tommy turned his back to them only to be approached by one of the women a few seconds later. He got a shocked look on his face as she walked up to him and slipped her hand into his back pocket, leaving a small piece of paper next to his wallet.

As the woman ran back to her friend, Tommy pulled the paper out of his pocket and found the name "Jill" written out next to a phone number. He smiled at the woman and she started to giggle again as he walked over to where they were standing.

"Thank you, Jill. That was very sweet of you," Tommy said as he took Jill's hand, opened it and placed the note inside it "But I'm happily taken by a woman I love very much and she'd kill me if she even found another woman's number on me."

He nodded politely towards them, turned around and walked back to where Kim had left him, smiling when he heard the woman grumble about how he wasn't good enough for her anyway. He was proud of what he had done and, from inside the dressing room, Kim was too. She had heard what he said to the woman and smiled warmly at Tommy's actions, touched at what he had done and how much he really loved her.

After trying on a handful of things and finding a few that she liked, Kim came out of the dressing room and walked towards Tommy, wrapping her arms around him tightly as the older women shot her dirty looks. She smiled back at them and then pulled Tommy in for a passionate kiss, rubbing their relationship in the face of the lady that had tried to come on to her man.

Once they had broken the kiss, Kim led Tommy to the front of the store and placed her things on the counter for the saleswoman to ring up. His eyes widened as the lady scanned four pairs of panties and four bras that totaled well over a hundred dollars. Kim reached into her purse to pull out her wallet but Tommy stopped her and handed the woman his credit card.

"Thanks babe," Kim smiled as Tommy nodded and she kissed him on the cheek "I'll get dinner, though. I want to take you to Musso & Frank's. You'll love it."

"If I'm with you it doesn't matter where we go, Beautiful," Tommy replied, leaning in for another kiss as the woman behind the counter stared and smiled at them.

She placed the receipt on the counter and cleared her throat which snapped Tommy from the kiss and he shot her an angry look as he quickly signed the paper and picked the bag up from the counter. He slipped his arm around Kim's waist and quickly led her out of the shop and back onto Hollywood Boulevard.

Kim pointed him in the direction they had come and Tommy nodded as he linked arms with Kim and headed back down the street. On the way to Musso & Frank's Grill, they stopped and posed for pictures in front of some more famous buildings like the Kodak Theatre and the Capitol Records Tower. Kim's camera was almost full and they hadn't even made it through dinner yet. Luckily she came prepared and as soon as they got into the restaurant, Kim switched out the memory card in her camera so she would be able to take plenty more pictures.

Ever since high school Kim had always loved taking pictures, especially when they were of her and Tommy together. If it hadn't been for the scrapbook filled with pictures and mementos she probably wouldn't have been able to make it ten years without Tommy in her life and she was glad that she had taken the time to capture their most precious memories from their youth.

Musso & Frank's Grill was the one place on Hollywood Boulevard besides Frederick's that Kim actually enjoyed going to. The restaurant was a hot spot for celebrities in Hollywood's early days and was still relatively popular amongst current stars as well. Normally, it was impossible to get in without a reservation but the manager was a gymnastics fan and Kim had signed autographs for her daughters. In the world of Hollywood that equated to an "I scratched your back now you scratch mine" type deal so Kim could pretty much get in whenever she wanted.

Even with the accelerated process of getting a table it still took almost twenty minutes of waiting in the lobby before they were seated. On the way to their table, Kim noticed a man sitting in a booth that looked oddly familiar to her. The occupant of the booth, a scruffy looking man with a baseball cap pulled over his eyes, stared up at her for a brief moment with a look on his face that said he thought he recognized her but the moment escaped them when Tommy and Kim were sat down in a booth that backed up to the man they had just passed.

There were curtains between each booth and Kim silently cursed them because she wanted to get another look at the familiar looking man. She wasn't interested in him or attracted to him, she just thought she knew who he was and wanted to know if she was right. Their waiter came over a few minutes later with water and bread then took their drink orders before disappearing into the kitchen to get their beverages.

Kim kept staring past Tommy as if she was trying to see through the booth to find out who the man behind her boyfriend was. Luckily, their waiter came back a few minutes later with Kim's margarita and Tommy's Heineken and they gave him their dinner orders. Tommy ordered a sixteen-ounce prime rib with a baked potato and side salad while Kim got lemon pepper chicken with risotto and a cup of clam chowder.

As soon as their waiter left, another came by and passed their table, stopping at the one behind them and setting a plate down in front of the man. Kim peered around carefully, trying to sneak a look but Tommy leaned with her, snapping her from her stupor. He waved his hand in front of her and she blinked a few times before getting an embarrassed look on her face and returning to her normal position.

"Are you alright, Kim?" Tommy asked in concern "Something bothering you over there?"

"No, I'm fine," Kim answered and then lowered her voice "The guy behind you just looks really familiar and I'm trying to figure out if I know who he is."

Tommy nodded in understanding and reached his hands across the table, holding Kim's and smiling at her as he leaned across the table for a kiss. Their lips met softly, just for a brief moment and then they returned to their seats, smiling happily at each other.

"Who do you think it is?" Tommy asked as Kim shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not even totally sure," she answered honestly "I can't put my finger on it, he just looks familiar. I'm gonna go to the bathroom and see if I can't figure out who it is."

Tommy nodded and let go of Kim's hands as she got up from the table and walked passed the couple on the way to the restroom. She waited in the restroom for a few minutes and then came back out, walking by them and trying to steal a casual glance at the man but his head was down and his eyes were mostly covered by the ball cap. Still, he looked terribly familiar and it was bothering Kim that she couldn't figure out who he was.

She sat back down across from Tommy and shook her head, signifying that she still didn't know who he was or where she recognized him from. Tommy's dinner salad and Kim's clam chowder came out a few minutes later, briefly bringing Kim back into the real world when the waiter set the dishes down in front of her. Tommy immediately dug into the salad but Kim just picked at her soup, taking small tastes here and there but not paying it much attention.

"Kim, eat your soup before it gets cold," Tommy said sweetly as Kim looked at him and smiled "I'm sure if you guys knew each other he would have said something already. Besides, it's not like it's George Clooney or something."

"Nope, not George Clooney," the man said from the booth behind them as he stood up and moved in front of Tommy and Kim "But I am Brad Pitt and you're Kimberly Hart. I'm a huge fan of yours, Ms. Hart. Ivanova didn't deserve the gold."

Kim blushed brightly as she and Tommy both stared back at the man in shock. Tommy blinked his eyes a few times, trying to see if it really was Brad Pitt and realized that it was. Before Kim could say anything Tommy stuck his hand out to introduce himself.

"Mr. Pitt, sir. It's an honor to meet you," Tommy said humbly as the actor smiled at him and shook his hand "_Fight Club_ is like my favorite movie of all time."

"Thanks," he said with a humble smile "Favorite quote on three. One, two, three, go."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Tommy said excitedly, not even having to think about it "You are now shooting at your imaginary friend in front of FOUR HUNDRED GALLONS OF NITROGLYCERINE!"

Tommy was surprised to see the famous actor smile and flash him a thumbs up. Ever since _Fight Club_ Brad Pitt had been one of his favorite actors and he was the first figure in the wax museum Tommy had willingly taken a picture with. Brad turned his attention to Kim and shook her hand politely as Kim continued to get redder and redder, not knowing what to say to him.

"I…I can't believe you're actually a fan," Kim finally muttered "I've loved you since _Interview With The Vampire_. I even had the poster on my wall when I was a kid."

"Well, I'm truly flattered," he said with a warm smile as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen "I was actually wondering if you wouldn't mind signing an autograph for me. I don't ever do this but, like I said, I'm a huge fan and it'd mean a lot to me."

"Only if you'll sign one for me and my boyfriend," Kim replied with a smile, Brad nodding in agreement.

Kim took the pen, grabbed a cocktail napkin and started writing a message on it. _Dear Brad,_ it read_ Thanks for the support. You rock. Kimberly Hart '00._ She took the napkin and handed it to the multi-film star who looked like a kid on Christmas. He tucked it in his pocket and then took the pen from Kim with a clean cocktail napkin to autograph. _Kim and Tommy_ he wrote, making sure to put Kim's name first_ Best wishes to you both. Brad Pitt._

"Would you mind taking a picture with us?" Kim asked as he shook his head and grabbed a waiter to take the picture "Thank you so much, Mr. Pitt."

"Please, call me Brad," he smiled back, putting an arm around Kim and another around Tommy "Besides, it's an honor to actually get to meet an Olympian."

The trio smiled brightly as the waiter took a picture and then returned the camera to Kim before heading back into the kitchen. Silently, Kim thanked herself for remembering an extra memory card for the trip as her and Tommy sat back down in their booth.

"Well, I'm sorry guys but I really need to get going," Brad said with a smile as he shook their hands again "It was a pleasure meeting you both. Thanks for the autograph, Kim."

Tommy and Kim smiled and waved as he walked away and then they looked at each other and started laughing loudly. Brad Pitt, one of the most famous men in America, had actually come to their table to talk to Kim when, ninety-nine percent of the time, it was the other way around. Kim got up from her seat and moved across the table next to Tommy then pulled out her camera again.

"Smile, Handsome," Kim said softly, pointing the camera in front of them and snapping a picture of them smiling together.

They changed their poses a few times with Tommy kissing Kim on the cheek, Kim kissing Tommy on the cheek and then a shot of them kissing on the lips. Kim was just about to take another picture when their waiter came with their dinners. Tommy smiled excitedly at the perfectly prepared prime rib and loaded baked potato being set in front of him while Kim moved away and retook her seat across from him.

"This looks great," Tommy muttered, unfolding his napkin, placing it on his lap and raising his beer glass "To us, Beautiful. And to our happiness."

"To us and our happiness," Kim replied as she raised her margarita and they clinked glasses gently "I love you so much, Tommy."

"I love you too, Kim," Tommy smiled back, lifting his fork and knife then cutting through the meat "Oh man, that smells awesome. Do you want a bite?"

Kim nodded as Tommy cut a piece of the meat, dipped it in the creamy horseradish sauce and then extended his fork to Kim. She leaned across the table and went for the bite he was offering but he moved the meat and replaced the fork with his lips. Their lips met in yet another loving kiss that lasted a few seconds before Tommy pulled away and gave Kim the bite of prime rib.

"That's really good," Kim said while she chewed the meat and cut her chicken "Here, try mine."

She did the exact same thing that Tommy did, mimicking him move for move with the kiss and feeding. They smiled brightly at each other as they returned to their seats and actually ate the meals that they had ordered for themselves.

"I still can't believe we really just met Brad freaking Pitt," Tommy muttered about midway through their meal "How crazy was that? And he came to you too which is totally cool."

"I know. It's crazy, huh?" Kim asked and blushed a little "I totally froze up there for a second. It was so embarrassing but he was really cool. It makes you realize that actors, musicians, athletes, we're all just normal people who happen to be good at something that people like enough to pay a lot to watch us do."

Tommy nodded and smiled as they returned to eating their meals, stopping periodically to chat about something random for a few minutes but remaining mostly silent as they ate. After another margarita for Kim and a couple more beers for Tommy, they had finished eating and Kim was in the process of signing the check. After seeing the price of the meal, Tommy had tried to pay for at least his part but Kim had refused his money, citing the trip to Frederick's and Tommy paying as putting them on equal levels.

He couldn't argue with that so he didn't even bother to try, he just went along with it as they walked hand in hand out onto the street where it was starting to get dark. They had spent an easy seven hours just walking up and down Hollywood Boulevard, seeing the sights and Kim was a little disappointed that she hadn't gotten to show Tommy more of the city. She knew he was leaving to go back to Reefside with Anton the next day but she was trying to keep that as far back in her mind as possible. The pair had only been back together for two days and she didn't really want to have to say goodbye so soon.

"Oooh, ice cream," Tommy said eagerly as they approached a Cold Stone Creamery and he grabbed her hand "We gotta get dessert, sweetie. Let's go."

Kim nodded in approval as they walked into the ice cream shop together and stepped into the line behind a few teenagers. The couple looked at each other and smiled at the young male and female in front of them who were holding hands as she leaned her head against her companion's shoulder. Kim did the same and Tommy kissed her on the top of her head as he kept her close by.

Tommy ordered vanilla ice cream with Oreo cookie pieces and Kim got cheesecake ice cream with strawberries and graham cracker chunks mixed in to it. Tommy paid for the ice cream and the pair walked back onto the street, heading for Kim's car that was still sitting on Sunset Boulevard.

Forty five minutes later, they had finished their ice cream and reached the black BMW as Kim handed Tommy the keys and went to the passenger side of the car. She had only had two margaritas and, while she probably could have handle it, she also didn't want to risk it. She knew Tommy could handle alcohol pretty well and he had only had three small beers so she felt comfortable in letting him drive her car. Truth be told, she felt comfortable letting Tommy do just about anything because she knew he would never do anything to hurt her.

Tommy got them home safely and with no hiccups just like Kim had expected him to do. They got into the elevator, Tommy's arm around Kim's waist as she held the Frederick's bad in her hand and they patiently waited for it to reach the twelfth floor. Once they got to Kim's apartment she unlocked the door and let Tommy in, following behind him and locking the door behind her.

Kim went into the kitchen and opened the fridge, grabbing two Corona's and a bag of lime wedges from the produce drawer. She popped the tops and dropped the limes into the bottles, returning the fruit to the refrigerator then headed over to where Tommy was sitting on the couch. He smiled at her and thanked her for the beer as she sat next to him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, kissing her gently on the cheek as tears slowly filled her eyes.

"What's wrong, Kim?" Tommy asked in concern, setting his beer down and turning to face her "Talk to me, sweetie. Tell me what's bothering you."

"I just don't want you to leave tomorrow," Kim admitted as she dabbed at her eyes "We've only been back together for a few days and you leaving to go home scares the crap out of me. I'm afraid I won't be able to deal with the distance just like before and I'll end up hurting you again."

"Then I won't leave," Tommy said simply, surprising Kim a little "I really don't want to leave either to be completely honest with you. If you're okay with it, I'd like to stay with you. I mean, I'll totally sleep on the couch or whatever but I don't want to be away from you again."

"Really?" Kim asked, Tommy smiling and nodding "You really feel that way. You really want to live with me?"

"Yep. I do," Tommy answered simply with another smile "I mean, I'll have to go to Reefside to pack and I have to pick Kira and Conner up in Turtle Cove but aside from that, there's nowhere I need to be except with you. If you want me here, that is."

"I've never wanted anything more than to be with you, Tommy," Kim replied happily, squeezing Tommy's hands "And I would never dream of putting you on the couch. I have two guest bedroom's or you can always just…you know…bunk with me. Nothing sexual or anything, I just feel safe in your arms and I like having you close by."

"If you're okay with that, then so am I," Tommy smiled, leaning in for a quick kiss "I'm so glad we're together again. I've missed you so much. I love you, Kim."

"I love you too, Tommy," Kim retorted with a happy smile "I always have."

Kim stood up from the couch and Tommy tried to get up but she pushed him back down to the couch. She told him to wait there and he nodded as she walked down the hallway and disappeared through a door which Tommy assumed was her bedroom. A few minutes later she came back out with a small duffel bag, grabbed her keys from the counter and tossed them to Tommy.

"Where are we going?" Tommy asked in confusion "And what's with the duffel bag/"

"To your hotel. I'm staying with you tonight," Kim answered, hoping Tommy didn't object "Since you have to leave tomorrow morning with Anton I figured it'd be easier if I stayed with you tonight instead of you staying here. And I was thinking I could go with you guys to Reefside. Are you okay with that?"

"Sure. I don't have a problem with that," Tommy replied, slipping his hand into Kim's and taking the duffel bag from her "I'm sure Anton won't either but I'll double check in the morning. If nothing else we can just go back in your car. Are you all ready to go?"

Kim nodded and grabbed her keys as Tommy opened the door and they exited the apartment together. She locked the door behind them and they got back on the elevator to get to the basement parking garage. Once they reached the car, Kim handed Tommy the keys again and he nodded, placing the duffel bag in the trunk before climbing into the BMW on the driver's side.

The whole way back to his hotel he kept his hand holding onto Kim's, occasionally leaning over and stealing a quick kiss or two at a red light. By the time they reached Tommy's hotel it was close to nine and Kim was blinking just to keep her eyes open.

"Since when do you get so tired this early?" Tommy asked as they walked through the lobby towards his room "You used to be able to last longer than any of us. Even Zack and Rocky and they were always super hyper."

"Ever since I started training for the Pan Global Games my body just stopped being able to do it. I would have to get up at five every morning for practice and by the time I got done with my school stuff it was usually right around nine at night," Kim answered quietly, trying not to yawn "By nine I'd be too tired to even want to do anything so I'd just crash. I'm just used to going to bed early and getting up even earlier, I guess."

Tommy nodded and smiled as he slid the card key into the lock, heard it click and opened the door for Kim to enter. Anton had gone above and beyond with their hotel rooms, insisting on the best ones possible for the trip. Tommy's had a little kitchen with a miniature refrigerator, microwave and coffee pot, a king sized bed, a flat screen television on the wall and a huge shower with a Jacuzzi tub.

He set Kim's bag down on the floor and then disappeared into the bathroom to brush his teeth and change his clothes. He came back out a few minutes later shirtless and wearing pajama bottoms to find Kim sitting on the bed in a pair of turquoise colored, laced, boy shorts and a matching tank top. Tommy's mouth dropped open at the sight of Kim and she couldn't help but smile at his reaction.

"You like?" Kim asked as Tommy nodded, the only thing he could do at the time "Good, I'm glad. Now come to bed, Handsome. It's cold over here without you."

She winked at him and Tommy obediently followed her command, climbing into the bed and pulling the comforter over the top of them. He wrapped his arm around Kim's waist, pulling her in closely as he planted soft kisses on her neck. Kim reached over and turned out the light, rolling over to face Tommy and kissing him on the lips.

"Goodnight, Handsome," she said softly, going in for one last kiss "I love you."

"I love you too, Beautiful," Tommy whispered as Kim rolled back over and he pulled her in again "Good night, sweetheart."

Even though it was dark in the room, they both had bright smiles on their faces as sleep slowly approached the couple. A few minutes later, Kim drifted off in Tommy's arms and he shortly followed suit after her, sleep claming both of them relatively quickly.

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_As I'm sure most of you can tell, I've kinda taken a break from _The Things You Don't Know _because of things I don't know. Kinda ironic, huh? Anyways, I just don't know where I want that story to go yet and I'm having some trouble writing for it so until further notice, consider it on hiatus. Sorry._

_WK_


	5. Perception and Perspective

From inside his hotel room, Anton Mercer held the room's phone up to his ear, twisting the cord and dialing a number as he waited impatiently while it rang. It took four rings until a voice picked up, a man answering that Anton had never spoken to before.

"You don't know me but my name is Anton Mercer," he began "I understand we have a mutual friend in one Dr. Tommy Oliver. Is that correct?"

"Yeah, me and Tommy are friends. What's your point?" the man asked in reply "Is Tommy okay? Did something happen to him?"

"I assure you that Tommy is fine and in good health. In fact, he is in his hotel room sleeping with another friend of yours," Anton replied, the man's mouth falling open in surprise "Which is why I'm calling you. I've known Tommy for quite awhile and, aside from Kimberly who he's still madly in love with, I know he misses you guys a lot and would love to see some of you."

"Wait, are Tommy and Kimberly back together?" the man asked as Anton confirmed that they were "Wow. I never thought they'd actually admit that they still loved each other. Anyway, what were you saying about Tommy and the others? And how do you know about the others?"

"Like I said, Tommy and I have known each other a long time. We know things about each other that would make your hairs stand on end," Anton answered honestly "We're in Los Angeles right now and we're coming back to Reefside tomorrow. I was hoping you could round up some people and surprise Tommy since his birthday's in three days."

"Oh man, it is. I completely forgot. Jeez, I sound like Tommy," the man replied, smacking his forehead as Anton let out a chuckle "Let me see what I can do. I can't make any promises but I can probably whip up something. Do you know about the kids and all that stuff?"

"If you're referring to the Dino Rangers, then yes I do. My son was one in fact," Anton answered "Why? Do you have something in mind."

"Yeah. Call them," the man answered "They'll want to see Tommy too. Give me a call when you get back into town tomorrow and I'll let you know if I've been able to do anything."

"Alright. I'll talk to you tomorrow," Anton replied, hanging up the phone and flopping on the bed "This is gonna be good."

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Kimberly was running but she didn't know where she was running to. The sky was black and she was running down a path lined with trees, the only light appearing before each step and disappearing right after, only to be replaced by another.

"What is going on?" Kim asked herself as she continued to run.

She could hear laughter, people jeering and ridiculing her. The voices were all mixed together but she could pick apart the voices a bit, enough to know that they were familiar. As she ran further through the trees, a bright light suddenly appeared, spotlighting a man with spiked dark brown hair, dressed in all black with his head lowered, eyes trained on the ground.

Kim recognized him immediately, even though she was unable to see his face and picked up the pace, trying to get to him as fast as possible but she couldn't. Every step she took brought her further from the man and, as she screamed for him, he looked up at her with sad eyes then disappeared. She felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around, finding herself face-to-face with another familiar man.

"Rocky?" Kim asked softly, reaching out towards him "Is that you?"

"You don't deserve him," the Hispanic man in blue jeans and a red t-shirt sneered, pushing her hand away "You'll never be good enough for him. Not after what you did. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Rocky, I hurt him badly and I know that, by doing that, I hurt you and the team as well. I cant apologize enough for that," Kim muttered, trying to fight off tears as Rocky rolled his eyes "I know you hate me and I don't blame you but I'm not the same person I once was. Things change and people do too. I love Tommy and I'm not going to lose him no matter what you say or think."

"You say that now and I believe you," Rocky replied truthfully and with a warm smile as he took Kim's hand in his own "But we'll see how you feel as you continue your journey."

Kim opened her mouth to reply but, as soon as she started to speak, Rocky disappeared in a poof of blue and red smoke, leaving her alone once again. Elsewhere, Rocky had just woken up in a cold sweat, his bed sheets having been thrown on the floor, his head pounding violently. After a drink of water and some Tylenol, Rocky climbed back into his bed and immediately fell back asleep.

Without warning, Kim's feet started to move again and she was running back through the trees towards what she assumed was her next destination. She was running uphill when the path suddenly darted to the right without warning. Kim missed the turn and found herself struggling to keep her balance as she peered over a ledge.

She looked down at the sandy beach below that was barely visible through the darkness and saw the same man she had seen a few minutes earlier. He looked up at her but Kim couldn't see any sort of facial expression. All she saw was him turn his head and then disappear under the ledge, completely out of sight.

"This is bullshit," Kim grumbled, regaining her balance and continuing down the path "There better be a damned good explanation for all of this."

Kim kept running for what felt like miles until a body stepped out from the trees up ahead and caused her to come to a screeching halt. Standing up ahead was a man in black jeans with a green t-shirt and Kim immediately recognized Zack's replacement as the Black Ranger and the man bonded to the Green Zeo Crystal.

"Adam," Kim called out to him as he kept his head down "What are you doing here?"

"Do you even need to ask that, Kim? Why are you always so dumb and helpless?" Adam taunted in reply "Never able to take care of yourself, always having to call on Tommy or one of us to help you out all the time. Face it, Kim. Without us, you'd already be dead."

"You're right about one thing. I probably would be dead if it wasn't for all of you. You guys gave me the strength to keep fighting when I didn't think I could fight anymore," Kim replied calmly "But dammit, Adam, you know as well as I do that I am _not_ helpless. I could have defended myself just fine, and I did a lot of the time, but Tommy always felt the need to 'protect me.' I am, and have been, a lot of things in my life but helpless isn't one of them."

"You say that now, Kim, and I believe you," Adam retorted with a smile, taking Kim's hand gently "But will you say the same thing as you continue your journey?" Kim stared back at him, waiting for him to disappear in a cloud of smoke too but nothing happened. "Well?"

"You're not gonna disappear like Rocky did?" Kim asked hesitantly, Adam shaking his head as a cloud of red and blue smoke appeared, materializing into the body of Rocky.

"We're gonna do this one with you," Adam interjected with a smile, putting an arm around Kim as Rocky did the same "You're gonna need us for this one."

Kim smiled and thanked them, slipping an arm around each one of them as she continued down the path. Occasionally, as they walked for what seemed like hours, the trio would exchange small talk mostly relating to the almost decade long absence they had gone without speaking to one another.

"I've missed both of you guys so much," Kim said as they both looked down on her and smiled "I know you guys are still mad at me for what I did to Tommy and the team but you two are like my brothers and I don't like it when you're mad at me."

"We're not mad at you, Kim," Adam replied warmly "We're just here to make you see the things you chose to ignore. We weren't nice to you and you never did anything about it until now."

"Yep. What he said," Rocky added, jerking his thumb at Adam as the trio came around a bend "We're here, guys. Kim, this is where we leave you."

Kim nodded and wrapped her arms around Adam's waist as he pulled her into a tight hug and gave her a friendly kiss on the forehead. She moved to Rocky and got the same embrace before stepping back and smiling at them.

"Be strong, Kim," Adam smiled "You're going to need Tommy when this is done."

Kim stared back at them, nodded and smiled as they disappeared again in clouds of multi-colored smoke, leaving her all alone once more. Meanwhile, in Angel Grove, Rocky woke up in another cold sweat as Adam did the same thing across town. Hesitantly, and thinking about Adam's final words, Kim continued down the path, looking out in front of her and stopping immediately.

"No," Kim muttered, biting her bottom lip "Not her. Not now."

As Kim walked down the path, a blonde woman turned around to face her and smiled back at Kim evilly. After everything she'd been through to get Tommy back, having to deal with Katherine was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Let's get this over with," Kim grumbled, Kat staring back at her and maintaining the smile "You tell me how I messed up or how weak I am or how much I don't deserve Tommy, I'll tell you the opposite and then you go bye-bye, ok?"

"That's not how this one works, Kim. You don't get to just walk away from me so easily, dear," Kat laid it on cheerfully in her thick Australian accent "The others forgave you because their only reason for being mad was the dysfunction on the team. I, however, won't forgive you no matter what you say. You prevented Tommy from loving me the way he loved you and I will hate you forever for that."

"I though Rocky and Adam said this part was going to be tough," Kim snapped angrily "Do you really think I give a damn what you think about me? Sure, you may be gorgeous and I might be jealous of that but Tommy picked me. He picked me when we were kids and there's nothing you can say or do to make me think we don't deserve each other."

"What if I showed you this?" Kat asked in reply as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device, opening it and handing it to Kim.

Kim stared at the small screen in horror at the image Kat was showing to her. It was at Angel Grove Park, in the spot Tommy and Kim had shared together many times in the past but it was different this time. Instead of her and Tommy, she saw Kat and Tommy sitting under a tree, engaged in a passionate kiss.

Immediately, Kim felt sick to her stomach and turned her head, Kat trying to contain her glee at Kim's reaction. She thrust the device back into Kat's hands and shook her head quickly.

"I don't care," Kim said sternly, causing Kat's expression to change instantly "This doesn't prove anything except that you two just weren't meant to be together. You won't effect my love for Tommy or my relationship with him anymore. I've spent too many years afraid to talk to him because of you and I won't lose him again. Especially not because of anything you do."

Kat frowned angrily at Kim's reaction. She had been expecting the petite brunette to turn into an emotional wrecking ball, not stand up strongly against her.

"But you…you're supposed to be…" Kat stammered angrily in defeat "Why aren't you mad or upset. This was supposed to crush your spirit."

"Sorry to burst your bubble sweetie but I love Tommy and that's never going to change," Kim replied, giving Kat the same smile she had given her "We're going to be together for a long time so I suggest you get used to it quickly."

Kat rolled her eyes and stomped her foot, Kim maintaining both eye contact and her smile towards the Australian import. Conceding defeat, Kat turned around and left Kim alone after disappearing quickly in a cloud of pink smoke.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," Kim muttered softly "Adam and Rocky sure underestimated me, I guess."

As Kim continued to walk the path, there was a loud rustling noise and she jerked her head to the side to check for movement. Without warning, the trees slowly started to fall backwards, as if some outside force was pushing them away from the path. The sun started to shine, warming Kim immediately but there was still one tree that hadn't moved with the others. In fact, it had gone a completely different direction and was firmly planted in the middle of the path, blocking Kim on all sides.

She approached the tree hesitantly, reaching out and running her hand down the rough bark as she tried to formulate a plan. With no way to get around it, Kim looked up and realized there was another way to get passed the object that was impeding her. She stepped back about forty feet and took a deep breath before sprinting towards the tree.

Halfway there, she launched into a cartwheel that, as she came out of it, quickly changed into multiple back handsprings. After the last back handspring she threw herself into a high back flip, grabbing onto a branch and hoisting herself up onto it.

Even the lowest branch was a good twelve feet off the ground and it had taken Kim pushing herself as hard as possible to get a position on it. Smiling with pride, she pushed herself carefully to her feet, grabbed another branch and swung herself into a sitting position at the top of the trunk. She looked over the ledge, thirty feet off the ground and saw the same man she had seen twice before. He had his back turned towards her but she could see that he was no longer wearing black.

The black jeans and t-shirt had been replaced by blue jeans and a white t-shirt, making Kim smile as she tried to carefully lower herself to the ground. She stuck her feet against the trunk and wrapped her arms around it, slowly shimmying down as carefully as possible. At about twenty-five feet, her foot slipped and she screamed out as she plummeted towards the ground.

The man in white turned at her screams and stared in complete fear as she fell towards the hard dirt surface below her. Instinctively, he made a quick motion towards the tree and stuck his arms out as she landed hard in them, almost causing him to drop her. She looked up at him with a glimmer in her eyes and a smile on her face as he straightened her out and set her on her feet.

"Tommy," Kim said through tears as she threw her arms around his neck "Oh my god, I missed you so much. Kat showed me pictures of you guys kissing, Rocky said I didn't deserve you and Adam said I was helpless. It hurt so much but I couldn't let them see that."

"Do you believe them? Do you think I have feelings for Kat or that you don't deserve me or that you're helpless?" Tommy asked in reply, stroking her cheeks as she shook her head no "Good. That means it's time, Beautiful."

"Time for what, Tommy?" Kim asked with a confused expression on her face "What's it time for?"

"It's time to wake up, Kim," Tommy replied, gently pushing her shoulder "Come on, Beautiful, we're here. It's time to wake up."

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"It's time to wake up, Kim," Tommy said softly, reaching across the car and gently pushing Kim on her shoulder "Come on, Beautiful, we're here. It's time to wake up."

Kim groaned in her seat and tried to move but the seatbelt over her body made it pretty hard to move more than a few inches in either direction. Groggily, she reached over and pushed the button, unlocking the seatbelt as she rubbed her eyes to try and wake up. From the back seat, she heard a man laughing and she immediately shot up in her seat, turning to face him with a confused look on her face.

"You slept like a log, Kim," the man muttered, Kim letting out a deep breath when she realized it was just Anton "You've been out for almost four hours. Tommy was actually starting to get worried about you. Are you okay? You look a little flustered."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks. Was I really out that long?" Kim asked, adjusting herself as best as possible, Anton nodding that she had been "Sorry. Really freaky dream."

Tommy frowned at the statement and reached out towards her, taking her hand in his own. She looked up at him and smiled appreciatively, rubbing the top of his hand with her thumbs. Their eyes met briefly and both leaned in, their lips touching in a loving kiss.

From the backseat, Anton smiled as he quietly let himself out of the car and closed the door gently behind himself. Tommy noticed but Kim didn't so he chose not to break their embrace, instead maintaining Kim's pace that was quickly increasing. They had never really kissed each other like this before, mouths opening and closing quickly, tongues on a mission to find its' companion in the other person's mouth.

With the pair locked in their embrace, Anton pulled out his cell phone and searched for the number he was looking for before drifting away from the car. It took a few rings but a groggy voice eventually answered, Anton looking at his watch and realizing it was almost two a.m.

"I'm sorry to bother you so late but you told me to let you know when we got back," Anton said quietly "Have you had any luck with the plan?"

"Don't worry about the call and, yeah, I've had some luck. I got in touch with some people. Five or six by my count," the man answered quietly "Two of them weren't gonna come but then they both randomly called a few hours ago, literally within minutes of each other, and said they'd be here. I don't know what got into them but I really don't care either."

"That's good. That's real good," Anton muttered, turning to face the car "The lovebirds are coming. We'll talk tomorrow morning, my friend."

"Alright, Anton. Thanks for the call," the man yawned loudly "Have a good night."

Anton flipped his phone shut and returned it to his pocket, walking towards the car as Tommy and Kim emerged from the vehicle together. Tommy popped the trunk and pulled out their bags, setting them on the driveway and turning towards Anton.

"You wanna just crash in the guest bedroom tonight?" he asked sleepily "It's already two in the morning, plus your car is still here."

"Might as well," Anton replied with a shoulder shrug, reaching into the car and pulling out his bags "I'm gonna go ahead and get some sleep. I'll see you two kids in the morning."

Anton patted Tommy on the shoulder and gave Kim a smile and nod as he passed by them, stopping only long enough to open his car and put some of his bags away. Tommy, having trusted Anton and Haley immensely, had given them each a key in case there was ever an emergency that required them to use the basement "facilities" so Anton just let himself in.

Tommy and Kim each grabbed their bags and started up the driveway, Kim leaning over and playfully bumping him with the side of her butt. Smiling at her brightly, Tommy stuck his foot out and pushed the door open, stepping back so Kim could enter.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Tommy said with a bow "Make yourself at home, Beautiful."

"Thanks, Tommy," Kim replied, planting a kiss on his cheek and entering the house as Tommy followed behind and turned on the lights "Wow. This place is beautiful."

Tommy smiled proudly at the house he had built from the ground up with the help of his brother, David. It was the last time the pair was together before David had been shot and killed trying to stop two men from mugging a young woman. For two men who hadn't met each other until they were almost eighteen, they bonded like most brothers, spending time together like they had known each other their whole lives.

It was a sad day when Tommy got the call from Sam Truehart, telling him that David had been killed trying to be a hero. If nothing else, Tommy took comfort in the fact that David went out in a way that his brother would have been proud of. The house stood as a living testament to his brother, a man he loved and a man that had gone too soon.

Around Tommy's neck, always tucked in so no one could see it, was the arrowhead he had shared with his brother. He touched the arrowhead gently, rubbing it in between his fingers and thinking about David.

"Brother, can you spare an arrowhead?" Tommy muttered quietly, smiling at Kim who had a confused expression on her face "David and I built it right before he di...Oh man, I forgot you don't even know who David is. A few weeks after you br…that thing…I found out I had a twin brother. He died a few years ago trying to stop two kids trying to mug an old woman. Shot him twice in the heart."

"Oh Tommy, I am so sorry," Kim replied, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist "I wish I could have been there with you. I'm sorry I made you go through everything alone."

Tommy hated that Kim hadn't been there with him through all the power changes, the battles, getting to fight with Jason again when he became the Gold Ranger, all the things they should have done together but didn't. They were things he just didn't feel right sharing with a different Pink Ranger no matter how great Kat had been. She really was a good Pink Ranger, second only to Kim in the history of all the other Pink Rangers but, in Tommy's eyes, she just wasn't Kim and Kim was what he needed.

"David was a good man. I know you would have liked him a lot," Tommy said with a smile, kissing Kim on the forehead "We built this house from the ground up. Everything except the electricity we did together, even the plumbing. I miss him a lot."

Tommy eyes glistened with tears as memories of David slowly played back in his head. The first time they met, the time Tommy revealed his identity to David, hunting on the reservation together, their last moments together building the house, they all came flashing back. Kim held on tightly, keeping her arms wrapped around his waist as Tommy rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Tommy. I'm sorry for David and I'm sorry I missed out on so much," Kim muttered bitterly "I wish I could have been there for you, my love."

"That's the past, Kim," Tommy replied, dabbing at his eyes "I don't want to focus on it anymore. We're together now and that's all that matters."

Kim nodded as Tommy pulled back, lifting her chin with his finger and kissing her softly on the lips. Kim slipped her arm around his waist, pulling him in closer and returning the kiss with pure passion. Tommy kept her close for a few seconds until they broke the kiss.

"Come on," Tommy said softly, slipping his hand into Kim's "Let's go to sleep."

Kim agreed with a nod of her head, letting Tommy pull her from the living room and lead her up the stairs. Tommy showed Kim the bathroom and she disappeared to change while Tommy did the same thing in his bedroom. It took him a few minutes to find a clean pair of pajama bottoms and he was just starting to pull them up when Kim came out of the bathroom. Luckily, he had his back to the bathroom and Kim only got the rear view.

"Ride 'em cowboy!" Kim called out, smacking Tommy on the butt "Oooh. That's nice and tight. Let me get another squeeze."

Kim reached out but Tommy jumped out of the way, pulling up his pajama pants and wagging a finger at her. She got a disappointed look on her face but Tommy changed that by bending down and planting a kiss firmly on her lips.

"Left side or right side?" Tommy asked as Kim pointed to the left "Good, cus I'm a right side guy. This is already working out great."

Kim nodded and kissed Tommy again as he climbed into the bed and she followed behind, snuggling up against him immediately. Tommy reached over and turned the light off, wrapping his arm around Kim and falling asleep shortly after.

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_Two days later…_

"Happy birthday, Tommy!" Kim called out excitedly, bouncing up and down on the bed "Wake up you big bad 28 year old! I made you breakfast and everything!"

Tommy rubbed at his eyes groggily, stretching his arms out as he smelled hot coffee, a scent that could wake him up even from the deepest of sleeps. He rolled over and grabbed Kim, pulling her up against himself as he kissed her on her neck and back.

"Oh Tommy, that feels so gooooood," Kim cooed, smiling at the kisses "You need to stop that. You're breakfast is going to get cold."

"That's why a wise man invented the microwave. Oh, come on Kim," he moaned as Kim pushed herself away and climbed off the bed "Wise man also say forgiveness is divine..."

"But never pay for late pizza," Kim finished with a smile and a kiss "Now eat your breakfast before it gets cold, dammit."

"Is it edible?" Tommy asked, poking at the toast, scrambled eggs and waffles that had obviously gone from the freezer to the toaster.

"It should be okay. The eggs are the only thing I was hesitant on so I tried them and they tasted fine," Kim replied, picking up Tommy's fork and holding it out for him "Take a bite and let me know if they're okay."

Tommy looked at the eggs hesitantly. Not wanting to actually eat it but knowing that Kim had gone to the effort to cook for him made him lean forward and take the eggs off the fork and into his mouth. He chewed apprehensively and let out a sigh of relief when he realized they were actually not bad.

"Not bad, Kim. Not bad at all," Tommy smiled back at her, cutting a piece of his waffle "Thank you sweetie, this is awesome. You're the best."

"You're welcome. And I love you but hurry up with that," Kim replied, hopping up from the bed "Anton made us dinner reservations at five and I still want to take you to get your birthday present."

"Kim, I don't need a present. This is enough," Tommy said to her, Kim waving her hand in disagreement.

"I don't want to hear another word about it," Kim replied "It's already taken care of so you're getting it whether you want it or not but I think you'll want it when you see it. You have exactly one hour before we're out that door."

Tommy opened his mouth to speak but Kim silenced him by placing her lips over his. She whispered the words "one hour" and patted him on the chest before skipping out of the bedroom and leaving Tommy to his breakfast. Shrugging his shoulders, Tommy took a bite of the waffle and immediately spit it back onto his plate. He poked at the stack of waffles with his fork and realized they were still mostly frozen.

"Well, I guess that's one less thing I have to worry about," Tommy muttered, taking a bite from his toast and a sip from his coffee mug.

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"Where are we going, Kim?" Tommy demanded for the twelfth time "And what do I have to wear this stupid blindfold for?"

"For the last time, Tommy, shut up and enjoy the ride," Kim answered with a hint of frustration "We're only five minutes away and we've only been in the car for ten. You're acting like my five year-old niece."

Tommy muttered an apology and leaned his head back against the head rest, reclining his seat and closing his eyes even though the blindfold was preventing him from seeing anything. A few minutes later they had arrived at their destination and Kim turned the ignition off, hopping out of the car and running over to the passenger side. Excitedly, she yanked open the door and tried to pull Tommy out before he had gotten his seat belt off.

He struggled for a few seconds but eventually got the belt off, Kim not even paying attention as she grabbed his hand again and pulled him from the car. A man in a suit walked over to them, preparing to say something but Kim put a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet as she pointed at Tommy.

She reached into her purse and pulled out a pink slip, handing it to the man who took a moment to observe the piece of paper. A few seconds later, he nodded his head and silently motioned for Kim to follow him. As Tommy's present came into view, Kim smiled excitedly, trying not to make any movements that would rile Tommy up.

"We're here. Are you ready?" Kim asked, Tommy nodding as she moved behind him "I'm going to take the blindfold off on three. One…two…three."

Kim removed the blindfold and let it fall to the concrete below as Tommy stared at his birthday present with wide eyes and an even wider smile. Parked right in front of him was a brand new Cadillac Escalade, painted black with red trim, tinted windows and a set of custom rims that were about as big as Kim's torso.

"Is that for me?" Tommy asked hesitantly as Kim nodded "Wow. I don't really know what to say, Kim. Thanks."

"Happy birthday, sweetie. I'm glad you like it," she replied with a smile, kissing him softly "Can we have the keys, please?"

The salesman nodded and walked away from them to retrieve the keys to the car. Kim knew that cars on lots were often left unlocked so she pulled Tommy over to the car and tested her theory. Not surprisingly, the door popped open and Kim showed him the inside.

The first thing Tommy noticed was the black leather seats with dark green piping around them. Then there was the steering wheel, complete with white tiger print that lined the dashboard as well. The monitors in the head rests and dashboards, the huge speakers on each door and the massive subwoofers in the trunk. It was, simply put, a dream car.

"You are so incredible, Kim," Tommy muttered, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her on the forehead "I love you so much and this birthday has been the best one I've ever had."

Kim smiled up at him, allowing Tommy to hold her closely as the salesman came walking back towards them with a clipboard in hand. He gave the keys and clickers to Kim and then offered her the clipboard and a pen. Kim signed a few documents and smiled politely as the man shook their hands and left them. She gave a key and clicker to Tommy and slipped the spares on her own key ring.

"Take this baby for a spin and I'll meet you back at the house," Kim said with a smile "Don't forget, we have dinner reservations with Anton. He called this morning while you were still asleep and said Haley's coming too."

Tommy nodded and kissed Kim goodbye, climbing into the car and starting the engine for the very fist time. He looked up at the visor and found a CD holder attached to it, already filled with some of his favorite bands and singers. Opting for an old Run-DMC CD, he popped the disc into the player and turned the stereo up loudly, the windows shaking with each thump of bass.

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"Tommy! Are you home!?" a brunette woman called out as she poked her head in the door "I'm letting myself and Anton in! Hope you don't mind!"

She let herself in and Anton followed behind her, the sound of feet hitting the stairs echoing throughout the entrance to the house. Tommy appeared a few seconds later, his collar unbuttoned and his tie loose around his neck as he tried to fix them and run down the stairs at the same time. Haley couldn't help but smile at his clumsiness when he nearly tripped on the last stair.

"Hey guys," Tommy said with a smile, giving Haley a kiss on the cheek and shaking Anton's hand "We're almost ready. Kim's just finishing up her hair and I still need to, uh…"

"Fix your tie, button your collar, tuck your shirt in, buckle your belt, zip up your pants" Haley ratted off with a smile as she named off a bunch of things he needed to do still "Get your wallet because you know it's downstairs next to the computer and make sure you don't forget your keys which are either on the kitchen counter next to the sink or on the bathroom floor next to the toilet. Oh, your glasses are on the coffee table and you _might_ want to put on your left shoe before you do anything else."

Tommy stared at Haley with an open mouth, amazed that she had just named nine things he still needed to do without even thinking about it. They really did know each other that well, to the point that Haley knew exactly where his wallet, glasses and keys would be if he couldn't find them.

"Help?" Tommy asked with pleading eyes as Haley rolled hers and headed for the basement "Thanks, Haley. You're the best. I'll be back in a few."

He started sprinting up the stairs and tripped about halfway up, falling face down against the stairs and biting his tongue. Immediately, he could taste the blood as he pushed himself up and did what all people do when they bite their tongue; stick it out, try to look at it and dab with their fingers at where they had just bitten. With red cheeks, he turned the corner and went into the bedroom to find Kim standing there holding his shoe up.

She had a pink cocktail dress on, cut right above the knee with a pair of matching high heels on her feet. Tommy actually had to stop for a moment to admire just how beautiful she looked before taking the shoe from her and slipping it on as she tried to fix his tie at the same time.

"Hold still, Tommy," Kim fussed as she pulled on his tie "Would you stop squirming for ten seconds. Woah, I totally just sounded like my mom."

"We're like an old married couple, Beautiful," Tommy replied with a kiss "Without all the wrinkles, arthritis and Viagra that is."

Kim smiled as Tommy stopped moving long enough for her to fix his white tie that sat classily against his black shirt, black slacks and black dress shoes. He looked like something out a mob movie. All he needed was the porkpie hat and a Tommy Gun. After tucking his shirt in, buttoning his collar, tightening his belt, zipping up his zipper and slipping his shoe on, they headed downstairs where Haley was waiting with Tommy's glasses, wallet and keys. Tommy took them from her with an appreciative smile as he looked at Kim and smiled.

"Kim, this is Haley Ziktor, my partner in crime and one of my best friends," Tommy said with a bright smile "Haley, this is Kimberly Hart, the love of my life."

"It's nice to meet you," Kim said to Haley with a smile as she extended her hand "I've heard so many great things about you."

"Same here," Haley smiled, waiting for Tommy to walk over to Anton before lowering his voice "He loves you more than anything on the planet. Please don't hurt him again."

"I won't. I promise," Kim replied softly "Trust me when I say I learned a hard lesson doing it the first time. It's not a mistake I'm willing to make again."

"We all ready?" Tommy called out, Haley looking at Kim with a thankful smile as they both nodded their heads "Alright, let's pack it up then. We'll take my new car."

"What new car?" Haley and Anton asked in unison as Tommy opened the garage to reveal his Escalade.

"No shit," Haley muttered in surprise "I need to find me a man that can afford one of those."

"I can't afford it," Tommy replied with a smile, Anton and Haley looking dumbfounded "Kim got it for me as my birthday present."

"No shit," Haley muttered in surprise "I need to fine me a woman that can afford one of those."

They all let out loud chuckles as Tommy unlocked the car and everyone took their seats; Haley and Anton in the back, Tommy driving and Kim riding shotgun. Tommy, having already fiddled with the car, knew where everything was and turned on a DVD for his passengers to watch as he backed out onto the street and drove off towards the restaurant.

As he drove through Reefside, Anton was giving him directions from the backseat on where to go and Tommy followed them closely. Haley, on the other hand, was being a backseat driver like usual, scolding Tommy every time he didn't use a turn signal or stop for three seconds at every stop sign. For as much as he loved Haley, driving with her was something he never could get used to. She harped on him about every thing when he was behind the wheel and expected him to remain silent when she drove. It was definitely a Haley-dictatorship when they were in a car together.

"Haley, I love you like a sister," Tommy began, choosing his words carefully "But if you give me shit one more time about my driving, I'm leaving you at the restaurant."

"If you leave me at the restaurant you won't get your birthday present," Haley sneered from the backseat "And if you weren't a shitty driver I wouldn't have to give you shit for it, so there!"

Kim turned around and shot Haley a playful grin as both females giggled a little bit. Tommy shot Kim an angry stare and she immediately turned back around, putting on her best straight face and biting her lip to prevent her from smiling. Hearing Haley laughing from the back seat though was too much to handle and Kim burst out into a fit of noisy laughter.

Tommy rolled his eyes as they pulled into the steak house parking lot and he swung the car in between a red Chevy Tahoe and a black Jeep Grand Cherokee. They got out of the car and, as Anton, Kim and Haley all headed for the door, Tommy paused to look at the cars' license plated. _FRGNBLK_ read the one on the Grand Cherokee with _REDTREX_ on the Tahoe.

He had never seen the vehicles or the license plates before but he had the feeling that something was going on that he didn't know about. Kim grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door, snapping him from his deep thought as he turned around and followed her.

"Yeah, hi. I have a reservation," Anton said to the hostess "It's under Mercer. Should be for thirteen in the club room I believe."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Mercer," the hostess replied "The rest of your party is already here. Follow me, please."

"Thirteen?" Tommy muttered to Kim, who shrugged her shoulders "The rest of our party? What's going on?"

"I have no idea," Kim whispered in reply "But I think we're about to find out."

The hostess led them to the outside of the club room which had walls around it preventing the inside from being seen on the outside. It had a single door that was being closely guarded by a large man under orders not to let anyone in but restaurant staff and the people who were occupying the room.

The man politely opened the door for them and they all came him equally polite smiles and head nods in return as they slowly followed the hostess into the room. Without even looking at the large dining table and its' occupants, Tommy took a moment to survey the room.

There was a fully stocked bar, complete with a private bartender in one corner, a pool table and foosball table in another and, at the back of the room, was what the club room was really all about. There was a small stage set up with chairs around it, a karaoke machine set up next to the stage for occupants who get courageous after drinking.

"Tommy," Kim hissed, snapping him back into real life again "Look who's here."

He turned his head towards the table, smiling brightly at the people who were occupying it. Sitting at the head of the table was Zack Taylor and on his left sat Adam Park and Rocky DeSantos, Aisha Campbell in between them. Across from them were Trini Kwan and Jason Lee Scott and, at the end of the table, Conner McKnight sat hand-in-hand with Kira Ford, Ethan James sitting to Conner's left. All nine of them looked at Tommy happily and, as tears slowly filled his eyes, he gave them all warm and thankful smiles.

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_Ooooooh, I ended that one at the perfect time hahaha. You all probably hate me right now lol. Since Tommy always does nice things for everyone else, I decided it was time he deserved someone doing something nice for him, hence the car. So, hope you enjoyed it. Obviously, you know what's coming next chapter so you have that to look forward to._

_Cheers,_

_WK_


	6. Happy Birthday, Tommy

Tommy stared at his friends, most of them people he hadn't seen in many, many years and immediately felt the urge to start crying right there in front of all of them. Aside from Jason, Kim and the Dino Rangers, he hadn't seen any of his former teammates in years. He'd seen Trini once, right after the Red Ranger mission and had exchanged emails with all of them regularly but that was the extent of their contact.

Once Kim left the team, Tommy slowly began to withdraw from everyone and, by the time they had given up their Turbo Powers, he realized that being around them only reminded him of Kim. It wasn't that he didn't like them because he did. He loved them all like family but even they couldn't stop him from thinking about her.

Having been told that no one had seen or heard from Zack since the peace conference in Switzerland ended, him being there came as an even bigger surprise than the actual intended surprise did. Zack also happened to be the first person to get up and greet Tommy.

"Happy Birthday, Tommy," Zack said with a warm smile, shaking his hand "It's good to see you man."

"It's good to see you too, bro," Tommy replied, turning the handshake into a quick hug "So where the hell have you been? No one ever knows what's going on with you anymore."

Tommy looked around the room, observing everyone as more people stood up to greet the new faces, Anton and Haley. He smiled happily, glad that two of his closest friends were being embraced so warmly by a group of people they didn't even know.

"We don't really talk about it," Zack answered, holding up his left hand to reveal a missing finger that hadn't been there before "Let's just say I've been doing my part to keep us all safe even after I hung up the spandex and leave it at that."

Tommy looked at Zack with pure confusion littered across his face and eyes, wanting to ask questions and know what exactly Zack was talking about. They hadn't seen each other since 1996, right after Zack had come home from Switzerland. It was a weird day and he remembered it all too well.

Through contact with Jason, Tommy had heard that Zack was leaving Switzerland a year early to come back to Angel Grove. Jason didn't have specific details on why but he had given Tommy a heads up and he, along with Kim and the others had arranged a welcome home party for their old friend.

As soon as Zack's mom had opened the door to the house and Zack saw all his friends, he immediately burst into tears and ran upstairs, refusing to come out of his bedroom until they were gone. They all knew that something was bothering Zack but none of them knew what exactly it was so they left, thinking they would see him within a few days if not sooner. Zack's mom called Kim two days later saying Zack had gotten on a plane that morning and wanted her to say goodbye to all his friends for him. The botched surprise party was the last time any of them would see him for over a decade.

"Well, whatever it is," Tommy muttered, clasping Zack's shoulder tightly "It's good to have you back home man. You plan on staying for long?"

"Yep. I just moved back to Angel Grove about a month and a half ago," Zack explained with a smile, visibly happy to be home "Can you believe I ran into Angela two days after I got home and now we're together again? Judging by us and you two lovebirds, I'd say something's never change."

Tommy nodded his head, opening his mouth to reply when a bum rush of three nineteen year-old kids practically knocked him to the ground. The yellow blur pounced first, throwing her arms around her former mentor and teacher, squealing a "happy birthday" as he hugged her back tightly. They stayed like that for a few seconds until Kim cleared her throat and elbowed him in the side.

"Oomph…hey…oh, right," Tommy said embarrassingly "Kira, this is Kimberly Hart, first and best Pink. Kim, this is Kira Ford, my Yellow."

He said the last part with pride, smiling brightly as the two females shook hands and exchanged hellos. Conner and Ethan came next, each putting an arm around Tommy and wishing him a happy birthday. Tommy smiled back at them, greeting them warmly and shaking their hands.

"Conner, how'd you and Kira get here from Turtle Cove?" Tommy asked in surprise "And Ethan, aren't you supposed to be there with them? What about school?"

"Earth to Dr. O. It's July," Ethan explained with a grin, Tommy rolling his eyes "We don't have school for two more months."

"All that Rangering must have really fried Dr. O's memory," Conner muttered to Kimberly who giggled "I'm Conner McKnight by the way. You must be Kimberly."

"Yes, I am. It's a pleasure to meet you Conner," Kim smiled, shaking his hand "Tommy talks about you guys all the time."

Conner beamed with pride as Adam, Rocky and Aisha, the three former Rangers he'd met for the first time twenty minutes earlier, stood up to greet Tommy. Ethan stepped aside as did Kira, allowing his friends and former teammates to properly wish him a happy birthday. Aisha immediately threw her arms around Tommy's neck, pulling him into a long overdue hug.

"Happy Birthday, Tommy," Aisha smiled at him "I missed you."

"Hey there little missy, thanks. I missed you too," Tommy said teasingly, hugging Aisha back then shaking hands with Adam and Rocky "How are you guys doing."

"Good," Rocky replied awkwardly "Nothing weird going on here at all. Just a normal day for Rocky. Completely normal. Not a damn thing out of the ordinary. Do you ever dream?"

Tommy looked at Rocky with a confused expression, Adam rolling his eyes at Rocky's incessant babbling. Since they had all started greeting each other, Tommy had noticed the pair of best friends exchanging awkward glances with Kim. He gave her a concerned look to which she replied with a smile and a shoulder shrug. She hadn't told Tommy about her dream, nor had she told him about the fact that most of her former friends hadn't spoken to her in years and she figured his birthday wasn't exactly the best time to bring it all up.

From the corner of his eye, Tommy caught Adam slip away and walk over to Kim, pulling her off to the side and whispering something in her ear. Adam made a motion towards Rocky who nodded slightly, walking away from Tommy who turned to see the three of them making their way to the furthest corner of the large room.

"So what's going on, guys?" Kim asked, leaning against the wall uncomfortably, Adam and Rocky looking equally uncomfortable with the situation.

"Did you have a dream with us in it, Kim?" Adam asked, Kim staring back at him in surprise "That's what I thought. I called Rocky the morning after mine and found out he had the exact same dream."

Kim nodded apprehensively, not knowing whether or not they were messing with her or if she should believe what they were saying. Adam took a deep breath and looked at Rocky, nodding as his friend prepared to speak.

"Look, Kim, we were wrong," Rocky muttered softly "We shouldn't have shut you out the way we did. We just…when you were around the team was so close but when you left we lost a lot of that but we managed until you broke up with him. After that, Tommy just kind of stopped caring and we all blamed you for that when we shouldn't have."

"No, you should have. Not shut me out, but blame me. It was my fault that the team got so dysfunctional," Kim admitted, albeit hesitantly "Breaking up with Tommy is the worst decision I've ever made but knowing my actions hurt you guys hurts me just as badly. I never wanted the team to get like that, believe me it was the last thing I wanted. I love you guys like family."

"We know, Kim, and we feel the same way. We just didn't know how to react so we shut you out," Adam replied with a sad smile "We should have been there for you just like real friends would have been. We were such good friends and I hope we still can be 'cause we really are sorry. I know that doesn't help much after the way we treated you, but we are truly sorry."

"I'll tell you what, guys. Since we both admit we made some mistakes and have apologized," Kim smiled at them "Why don't we just put the past in the past and be friends again. I've missed you guys a lot. Aside from Jason, I haven't had a male friend to talk to in ten years before Tommy and I got back together. Having you two as friends again would mean a lot to me."

"I'm okay with that. Are you okay with that, bro?" Rocky asked Adam who nodded in agreement "Good. Now give us the dish on how you and Tommy got back together."

Kim laughed and nodded, looking over at Tommy and smiling at him as he returned the gesture. She was going to call him over but saw Jason coming over to him and decided to leave him be, turning towards her new friends and telling them the story. Out of her peripherals, she saw Jason wrap his arm around Tommy's shoulder and smiled happily at the pair of best friends.

"Happy birthday, bro," Jason said with a smile, hugging Tommy in a brotherly embrace "You're sneaking up on 30, man. How's it feel to be old?"

Tommy laughed loudly, loud enough for Kim to hear at least, playfully pushing his friend who was exactly one month to the date younger than him. He landed a few joking punches to Jason's abdomen and then pulled him into another hug. If it had been any other two males in the room, the second hug would have looked awkward but Jason and Tommy had a different relationship in comparison to the others.

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_Flashback…_

Tommy sat alone in front of his uncle's cabin, note pad and pen in hand, writing a heart felt letter to his best friend. As Tommy wrote, he struggled to fight off the tears that were slowly creeping up on the former Green Ranger. From the Command Center, Jason and the others watched on the Viewing Globe as Tommy wrote the letter.

_Dear Jason, _

_I know this is a little late, but I'm writing to you guys to let you all know that I'm okay. I miss you guys a lot, but I need this time to get my head together. Jase, go win that Golden Pipe trophy for me. I know you can do it. You're a winner. You always have been. Look, I don't blame you for what happened. I never did. Just keep your head together. The others depend on you. So do I. We will see each other again soon. _

_Your friend, Tommy_

On the outside, Jason put on a smile and did what Tommy had requested by winning the Golden Pipe trophy for him. After being lifted off his feet by Billy and Zack, he hoisted the trophy high, dedicating it to Tommy with a smile. How he was feeling on the inside, however, was a completely different story.

Long into the night, after the five teens had celebrated Jason's victory, he returned home and collapsed on his bed, the letter from Tommy still sitting in his head. Without a second thought, Jason reached into his backpack and pulled out a notebook and pen, flipping through it until he found a clean page that didn't have "Trini" doodled on it.

_Dear Tommy,_ he wrote

_I did what you asked me to, bro, and I got that Golden Pipe trophy just sitting on my dresser, waiting for you to see it when you decide to come home. Look, man, I know you don't blame me for what happened, but I still blame myself. I just can't deal with the fact that you're not with us anymore and I could have done something to change that. Regardless of that, I'm going to tell you something and trust that you won't repeat it to anyone, especially not to Kimberly. As soon as you lost your powers permanently, I went to Zordon and Alpha about finding another power source for you. They said they would try and I think they're getting somewhere but I don't want you to get your hopes up. I can't let the others know and you can't either. I just want you to know that I miss you. We all do. Come home soon, Tommy. It's not the same here without you._

_Your friend, Jason_

Jason folded the letter neatly, tucking it away in an envelope and addressing it to his uncle's cabin before setting it on his desk, a reminded to put it in the mailbox on his way to school the next morning. When Tommy got the letter from him, a letter in reply just didn't seem like the right thing to do. They talked on the phone for almost two hours, Jason catching Tommy up on everything he had missed in his absence from Angel Grove.

They even, although neither of them had ever admitted it, cried a little that night. Jason promised to look after Kim for him and Tommy promised that he'd come home as soon as possible. From that point on, it was no longer just a friendship. They were brothers in ways that the majority of blood-related siblings would never experience.

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"Ahh, Trini!" Tommy exclaimed, kissing her on the cheek and embracing the Vietnamese woman, lifting her off her feet "You have no idea how much I've missed you. It's been way too long."

"Happy birthday, Tommy. It's good to see you too," Trini replied with a smile "Unfortunately, Jason and I couldn't get everyone here. Billy and Katherine wanted to come and Anton said the same about Trent but they're all in New York and it was such short notice. No one knows about Justin and Tanya's shooting some movie in England but we did the best we could."

"You did awesome Trini. Thank you so much. This is the best birthday present ever," Tommy smiled back at her "Obviously Anton was involved in this in some way. Who'd he call? You or Jason?"

Trini got a look on her face that said she had no idea what Tommy was talking about but he didn't buy it for a second. He kept a firm glare locked onto her until she finally rolled her eyes and gave in to the birthday boy.

"Jason," Trini admitted reluctantly, Tommy smiling at his small victory "He thought you'd like it if we all surprised you for your birthday. He obviously cares a lot about you to organize this all for you, Tommy."

Tommy nodded his head in agreement as Adam, Rocky and Kim all started making their way back to the table so they could order dinner. Kim giggled at the two men as they handed her off to Tommy and took their seats on either side of Aisha's chair. Tommy pulled out Kim's chair for her and then sat in between her and Conner, exactly where he wanted to be in case the young man got googly-eyed and started looking in places his eyes didn't belong.

He looked over at Conner and saw the look of pure frustration on his face when he blocked Kim from his sight. Even though he loved Kira to death, he believed firmly in the "I can look at the menu and not order" theory, the same one that Zack had supported since he was fifteen. The sound of an open palm meeting an unsuspecting head echoed throughout the room a few seconds later and Tommy smiled at Kim, knowing Kira had smacked Conner without even having to look.

"So what's everyone having?" Tommy asked, laughing as he looked at Rocky and found him staring at the menu with wide eyes "Rocky, what _aren't_ you having?"

"A salad," Rocky muttered, not missing a beat and, as everyone started laughing, he raised his eyes from the menu to look at them "My people, you ask and I give for I am a fair leader and would not want to bore you with the boring hunk of boredom that is, The Goat."

"The Goat?" every voice rang out in unison, Rocky rolling his eyes.

"Goat. G-O-A-T," he muttered, rolling his eyes again when he realized they still didn't know what he meant "Greatest of all time. G-O-A-T. Get it?"

Everyone stared at him unimpressed. Everyone except Conner that is who thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard anyone say before. He choked on his water and some dribbled down his chin which everyone agreed to laugh at. His cheeks got red and Rocky smiled, playfully reaching out and smacking Conner on the arm.

Conner looked at his arm as if the hottest girl in the world had just touched him. He looked at Kira with wide eyes and then started giggling like a school girl.

"He…ta… ta…touched m…me," he muttered, Kira rolling her eyes and giving Rocky an apologetic look.

"He doesn't always do this. Sometimes he's normal, I promise," Kira smiled as Rocky chuckled "Dr. O just talks about all you guys a lot and Conner thinks you're the coolest thing since sliced bread."

"He should," Rocky replied with a serious expression "I am."

Kira shook her head slowly at the statement, Rocky shooting her a playful wink and then turning to talk to Adam and Aisha. Seeing that they were rather engrossed in their own conversation, he turned to the person next to him who also happened to be the person he had the least in common with, Ethan.

"I got turned into a pachinko nut once," Rocky said matter-of-factly, Ethan nodding his head and not looking impressed.

"Got sucked into a video game," Ethan replied, Rocky laughing and clapping his hands "That was real cool. Worse than getting a game over after ten levels of SNSW."

"You play SNSW?" Rocky asked, Ethan nodding his confirmation "You, my friend, are the coolest Blue Ranger I've ever met. Besides me of course. Oh, I got sucked into a giant story book with Kim and Tommy one time. Let me tell you, being stuck with those two in a crappy kid's story is not a fun experience."

"You got me beat with that one, man. I can say proudly that I have never had to deal with something as crazy as that," Ethan laughed along with Rocky "I don't think I could handle being trapped anywhere with Dr. O."

The last part came out a little louder than he would have liked and Tommy heard the comment, turning to Ethan and glaring daggers at him. If it hadn't been for the young man's dark skin, his cheeks surely would have been bright red. With an embarrassed expression he turned his head as Rocky kicked him under the table and started chuckling softly.

"He can be a real jack ass sometimes. Always thinks he needs to be in control, telling everyone what to do," Rocky muttered bitterly, Ethan nodding in agreement as Rocky's tone changed suddenly "But he's the best Ranger in the universe. From here to Edinoi, Aquitar, Mirinoi and back, there's not a better Ranger than Tommy. You're lucky to have had him as a mentor."

"I know," Ethan nodded softly "For as tough as he was on us when we were Rangers, I knew he'd do anything he could to help us out. Some of the teams that came before us didn't know what it was like to balance being a student and a Ranger but Dr. O knew firsthand how hard it can be. I don't think I would have wanted to learn from anyone else."

Again, Ethan's voice got too loud, something he'd been trying to work on and, like before, Tommy had heard his comment. Ethan expected an evil glare when he looked down the table but all he got was a smile and a polite head nod from him. He breathed a sigh of relief and nodded back before turning his attention to Conner and Kira.

Tommy heard the door open and turned his head as a waitress walked in, pulling a small pad of paper from her apron and smiling at them. She introduced herself and asked if everyone was ready to order. Since they had a full bar in the room, no one needed to place drink orders and it was at that time that Tommy looked down the table and saw the brown glass bottle in front of Conner.

He looked up at Conner and frowned at the bottle as the young man put up his hands in silent defense, pointing to Jason. Tommy rolled his eyes, looking angrily at Jason who just sat there and smiled at him, raising his matching bottle and pointing it in Conner's direction.

"He's nineteen, Jase. Are you out of your mind," Tommy hissed at his friend "You could get every single _legal_ one of us arrested. If I go to jail on my birthday, I swear to God I'll…"

"Shut up, Tommy. You're dad bought us our first beer when we were seventeen years old, remember?" Jason shot back in reply "Or do you not recall the welcome home party you guys threw for me when I came home? I don't remember you complaining at the restaurant when you were the underage drinker. Besides, I told him if he drank even one sip of alcohol he had to let Kira drive."

"Well, at least you were smart about it," Tommy relented begrudgingly as the waitress asked him what he wanted to eat "I'll have the, uh, eighteen ounce filet mignon with sautéed mushrooms on top, a baked potato with the works and a small garden salad with bleu cheese, please."

The waitress nodded politely, writing the order down before taking Tommy's menu and tucking it underneath her arm with the others. Once everyone had placed their orders and the waitress had left the room, Kim stood up and cleared her throat loudly, silencing everyone else in the process.

"I need everyone that's legal to stand up and follow me to the bar," she commanded sternly, looking at the Dino Rangers with an apologetic expression "Sorry, guys. You're gonna have to sit this one out."

They nodded in understanding, although Conner wasn't exactly thrilled about being left behind when he was the bartender grab a bottle of Jack Daniels from the back wall and start filling shot glasses. He set them on a tray which Kim held out and, after everyone had taken a glass, she raised her own.

"This is to you on your birthday, Tommy," Kim smiled as everyone raised their glasses with you "I hope I can spend every one of them from here on out with you," Tommy smiled at her warmly as they all tossed back their shots and Kim screamed "Let the party begin, boys and girls!"

Tommy walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her hair away and planting a soft kiss on the side of her neck. She looked up at him and returned the smile, allowing their lips to meet momentarily in a birthday kiss. Jason called for another round and passed them out to everyone once new glasses had been filled. Like Kim, he raised his glass and prepared to make a toast.

"Tommy, you're my best friend, bro. I know we don't talk all the time like we used to but we're still gonna buy those houses right next to each other one day so we can get old and fat together like we promised we would," Jason muttered, wiping a single tear from his eye as the others all chuckled "It's your birthday, man; you're my brother and I love you. Happy birthday, Tommy."

Tommy nodded and smiled at his friend as they all slammed down another shot, Rocky now calling for a round of his own. It continued like that, all the legal adults except Anton, who agreed to stay sober for driving purposes, taking shots as they all toasted Tommy. Between all of them toasting Tommy once, they had each had nine shots. Everyone looked at Kim and Aisha, expecting the two smallest girls to go down first but they were still going strong. Rocky and Adam on the other hand, weren't doing so well.

They had ran off to the pool table, each of them grabbing a cue and hopping up onto the table to duel. The sticks crashed loudly against one another and everyone immediately turned to look at the pair engaged in a mock sword fight on top of a pool table. Aisha ran over there with an angry look on her face as Adam swung at Rocky, causing him to lose his balance and fall right in front of Aisha who jumped back just in time to avoid being pancaked.

"Hey, Adam!" Kim called out, Adam turning to stare at her.

"Whaaaaaaaaat," he yelled and asked at the same time, clear drunken annoyance in his voice "Dooooooooooo...yoooooooooou...waaaaaaaaaaant!?"

"To see if you're as good with that stick as you think you are," Kim challenged, Adam suddenly looking interested "I'll bet you fifty bucks me and Tommy can beat you and Rocky in a game of pool."

Tommy stared back at Kim in surprise but she put a single finger over his lips, silencing him and assuring him that it was going to be alright. She looked back at Adam who was pondering the challenge and Rocky who had just gotten back to his feet and was dusting himself off when Aisha smacked him on the back of the head and he went back down.

"We'll do it," Adam said confidently, looking down at Rocky "Are you still down there? Get your ass up, man. We're about to win fifty bucks which means you can pay me back for Taco Bell last night with your half of the winnings."

"Rocky spent twenty-five bucks at Taco Bell?" Trini asked out loud, Conner rolling his eyes unimpressed.

"I once spent forty," he said proudly, sticking his chest out and pointing his thumb at himself "They said it was a California record for one person. Beat some loser named DeSant…oh shit."

The realization of whose record he had beaten set in and he got excited again, bouncing up and down, clapping his hands and chanting "I'm better than Rocky" while the others rolled their eyes at him. Tommy pulled Kim off to the side to question her about the pool game, Adam yelling at the pair to hurry up.

"Kim, normally I wouldn't question you but you weren't exactly the best pool player when we were kids," Tommy muttered softly "I seem to remember a cue ball flying past my ear and breaking a window in my house that I had to pay for."

"Well then it's a good thing there's no windows in this room," Kim fired back, slipping away from him "Come on. Who cares if we lose? We'll still have fun."

Tommy conceded defeat and followed Kim to the pool table, Rocky getting back to his feet and looking around with a paranoid expression, wanting to make sure no one was going to hit him again. Convinced that he was okay, Rocky picked up his cue stick and stumbled over to the head of the table to break the balls.

For clearly being intoxicated, Rocky's break was quite clean, knocking in two solid balls and a striped one as well. He looked at the table proudly, trying to plan out his next shot as he turned to look at Tommy and Kimberly.

"That striped ball was your birthday gift," Rocky muttered and then belched "Not one more of those is going in a pocket, pal."

Rocky knocked in two more balls before scratching and stepping back for Tommy to take his turn at the table. He sunk one striped ball in but the cue ball ricocheted and knocked in a solid as well, giving control back to Rocky and Adam.

Adam pocketed another two balls and just barely missed the last one he needed to sink before they could go after the eight ball. Kim shanked her shot badly, barely skimming the tip against the ball, causing it to run off into the corner pocket for a scratch.

"Oops," Kim said innocently, kissing Tommy on the cheek "Did I do that?"

"Very funny," Tommy replied, kissing her on the forehead as Rocky sunk a ball "I hope you plan on paying them when we lose."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I call your attention to me!" Rocky yelled loudly, interrupting their conversation "For my final demonstration I will wrap the pool cue behind my back, hit the cue ball off the right side rail, send it in between their nine and thirteen balls, knocking in the eight ball in that corner pocket in the process."

Adam, along with everyone else, stared at him apprehensively but he stepped up to the table with confidence, wrapping the cue behind his back. He took his shot, sending the cue ball off the right side rail, in between the nine and thirteen balls then knocking the eight ball in the corner pocket. Crouching down, Rocky launched into a jump, landing right in the middle of the pool table, playing air guitar on the cue.

"Rock and roll, New York!" he yelled in an English accent "This city fackin' rocks! We love you and we'll see you next time, Big Apple!"

Rocky hopped off the table and set the cue on top of it, starting to walk by Kim who grabbed his arm and pushed him back towards the table, telling him not to move. He nodded his head, partially in fear of what Kim would do if he disobeyed, as she walked over to her purse and pulled out five bills before returning to them and setting four on the table.

"There's 25 bucks for each of you, just like we bet," Kim said as they grabbed the money "But…" she held up a crisp one-hundred dollar bill "You can put that fifty back down with another fifty and let it all ride. If you have the balls that is."

"Oh, we have the balls," Rocky answered confidently, nodding at Adam who looked like he didn't want to risk it "We'll take that bet. Adam, give me fifty."

Adam looked apprehensive but he still reached into his wallet, pulling out a fifty-dollar bill and replacing it with the twenty-five from Kim as Rocky did the same. Kim took the two hundred dollars, tucking it in her back pocket and telling Rocky to rack the balls.

"Maybe you should let me break, Kim," Tommy whispered, Kim shaking her head in disagreement "Fine. But I'm still not paying your bets."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kim replied, attacking the cue ball, sending it crashing into the triangle of balls. Tommy watched in awe as they all went in different directions, the eight ball dropping into the right side pocket. "Game over, boys. Nice playing with you."

All three men stared at Kim in amazement as she set her cue down and walked away, back to the dinner table. Rocky and Adam looked at each other, looked at Tommy, looked back at each other and nodded before diving head first at their former leader. He ducked underneath them as they collided in mid-air before landing on the top of the table just as a team of waitresses came in with their meals.

Tommy returned to the table, Adam and Rocky just a few minutes behind him. Kim patted the chair next to her and Tommy sat down next to her, kissing her on the cheek and pulling his chair in. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a hundred dollar bill, extending it to Tommy but snatching it back when he reached out for it.

"This would have been yours if you had had some confidence in me," she said with an evil grin "I bet that'll teach you a lesson, huh, oh-great-one?"

"Speaking of that," Adam interjected, swallowing his steak then reaching under the table to grab a bag "Jason, Rocky, Zack and I all chipped in a little to get you this. Consider yourself the proud honor of a completely non-discreet, non-humble, secret spilling, identity revealing, vanity license plate. Although yours is a lot more discreet than ours."

Tommy smiled as Adam handed him the bag and he pulled out the personalized license plate they had gotten made for him. It read, _TFWLOTS, _something that Tommy didn't immediately understand but Kim instantly did. She let out a little chuckle, giving the three who had been there knowing head nods and smiles.

"T-F-W-L-O-T-S?" Tommy spelled out quietly and then it dawned on him "Oh, you guys are dicks. How come Jason gets "Red T-Rex," Adam gets "Frog in Black" and I get "The Falcon, Winged Lord of the Skies?"

"Because we didn't want to feed your ego even more with a really cool one," Adam replied simply "And mine isn't just "Frog in Black," it's "Friggin' Black" too. See, that's cool because it has two meanings. If we had given you one like that it would only fuel the fire further, my friend."

Everyone laughed and Tommy shrugged his shoulders in admittance of the fact that what Adam was saying was indeed true. He didn't know if he was going to put it on his car or not but, if nothing else, it could always hang up in his garage next to the _GRNDRGN, WHTETGR, WHTFLCN, ZEO5RED, REDLTNG _and_ BLKBRCO _ plates no one knew he had purchased and never used.

Tommy was an admitted ego-maniac when it came to his tenure as a Ranger but it was more confidence than cockiness. He knew he was the best and so did everyone else. If anyone else had done it, it would have been narcissistic but for Tommy, it wasn't a big deal.

As they ate their dinner, everyone that had brought Tommy a gift passed it out to him. Aside from the license plate, Adam, Aisha and Rocky had all combined to buy him a $300 gift card to Best Buy, the same thing the Dino Rangers had done except theirs was for $150, the most they could afford on a college student's budget. Jason and Trini got him tickets for an upcoming UFC fight, under the known pretense that Tommy would end up taking Jason, thus leaving Kim and Trini to have a girl's night. Anton's gift was the party and Haley had told him his gift was at home so the only person left was Zack.

"I'm sorry, Tommy. I didn't have time to buy you anything," Zack muttered, fighting back tears "I guess I might as well tell you guys. I haven't been around because, they day I turned eighteen I enlisted in the military. Not being a Ranger anymore, I felt the need to still protect the people I cared about so I joined the Marines and became part of a very discreet special forces team. I've spent the last ten years going all over the world, unable to tell anyone what I was doing, which is why I bailed on Jason and Trini in Switzerland and why I bailed on all of you when I came home."

"But you were still in high school," Kim muttered in disbelief, Zack shaking his head.

"I got held back in first grade. Something about me being too immature for second grade 'cause I stuck Play-Doh in my pants and then made another kid eat it," Zack chuckled slightly "The first time I met some of you was when I had to repeat first grade but you guys didn't know it was my second time. Basically, I was a year older so when we moved to Switzerland I decided to make it that way in school too. I took extra classes and graduated early. Three months later I was on a plane to Berlin."

Tommy suddenly had a newfound respect for his old friend and he extended a friendly arm, resting his hand on Zack's shoulder and squeezing it tightly. Zack sniffled, wiping at his eyes and then reaching into his pocket, pulling out a chain. The others all had looks of uncertainty on their faces, not in Zack's story but in how any of them could have not known what he was doing.

"I got this made for you though," he continued, handing Tommy the silver-chained dog tag "It's not UFC tickets or money but it's the best I could do on short notice. I'll get you something nicer later."

"Zack," Tommy muttered, inspecting the dog tag "I don't want anything more, man. This is a great gift. You did something amazingly brave and selfless, Zack, and I'm proud to wear this."

Tommy took the chain and passed it around as everyone looked at the dog tag that had the words _Tommy Oliver, USMC, Semper Fi _and_ Hoorah _inscribed in the metal. When it got back to him, he slipped it over his head, tucking it into his shirt as he gave Zack a hug.

"Welcome home, Zack," Tommy muttered, squeezing him tightly "Welcome home."

Once dinner was over and the legal adults had all had a few more drinks, Kim looked over at the karaoke setup and got an idea. Excitedly, she pulled Trini and Aisha off to the side, whispering something to them as they all nodded and giggled. Aisha ran across the room to the stage, plugging in the microphone as Trini got a chair and set it on the stage.

"Happy birthday, Tommy," Kim said sensually, catching him off guard as she straddled his legs and took his hands in her own, pulling him to his feet "Come on, tough guy."

Kim practically dragged him to the stage, forcing him to sit in the chair while everyone else got up from the table to see exactly what they were doing. They all took seats in front of the stage as Kim picked up the microphone and slowly walked over to Tommy, standing behind him and leaning in against his neck.

"Happy…birthday…to…you," she sang softly, pausing in between each word as she straddled him again "Happy…birthday…to …you. Happy…birthday…Doctor…Oliver. Happy…birthday…to…you."

The whole time she sang, she teased Tommy with her body, occasionally kissing him on the neck or grinding up against him. He sat there completely rigid, not knowing exactly what to do or how he was supposed to react to Kim's movements. Luckily, it was a short song and by the time she had finished, Tommy was more relaxed but his cheeks were a lot redder too.

"Encore! Encore!" Rocky called out from the floor, clapping his hands as Tommy glared at him and he sat back down "Sorry. I meant no more! No more! Boo. No encore!"

"Who's up for drinking games!" Kim yelled out of nowhere as everyone cheered "All right, back to Tommy's place! Ethan and Kira, you're going to have to drive some of us. You three kids all need to call your parents and tell them you're staying at a friends' house tonight."

"Why?" Ethan asked apprehensively.

"Dude, are you dumb or something?" Conner asked, Ethan rolling his eyes at the irony involved "Kim's gonna let us drink with them, man. This is awesome!"

Ethan's face lit up, as did Kira's while Tommy looked at Kim in protest but she just stood there and shook her head, refusing to stand down to him. He even went as far as giving her puppy dog eyes but even those had no effect and puppy dog eyes _always_ worked for when he used them on Kim.

"They're almost twenty years old, Tommy. You need to start treating them like adults and not kids," Kim said sternly, poking him in the chest "Besides, it's not like we're sneaking them into a bar and letting them drive home. They'll be with us and we'll take their keys as soon as we get back to the house."

Tommy shrugged his shoulders in defeat as the waitress returned with the bill, handing it to Anton who signed it without looking and returned his credit card to his wallet. Anton, the only adult who hadn't drank took key rings from Jason, Tommy and Adam before giving Jason's to Kira and Adam's to Ethan. Since Tommy's car was literally less than a day old, he wasn't going to give it to one of the kids.

"Wait, what about my car?" Conner asked, referring to the vintage red Mustang in the parking lot "I drove Kira and Ethan so someone's gonna have to take my car back to Dr. O's place."

"We'll bring you back in the morning on our way home and you can get it then," Jason said to him as he nodded in agreement "Any more issues we need to take care of?"

They all shook their heads and left the room in unison, the bouncer looking guy opening the door for them from the outside. As they were walking towards the main exit, Tommy noticed Haley walking by herself so he stealthily slid over to her, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her off to the side while the others walked out. She looked up at him and smiled brightly as she rested the side of her head on his shoulder.

"You okay?" Tommy asked softly, Haley nodding slightly "Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything, Haley."

"I'm fine, Tommy. I guess I just…," her voice trailed off slightly as she tried to think of a way to word her thoughts "I see Jason with Trini, Conner with Kira and you with Kim and I just feel like I'm missing out. Like I'm alone in this world of happy couples."

"Haley, as long as I'm around you'll never be alone," Tommy muttered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead "There's a great guy out there waiting for you. You'll find him eventually and when you do, he'll be lucky to have you, I promise."

Haley nodded, wiping at her nose with her shirt sleeve as she wrapped her arms around Tommy's waist and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back for a few seconds and then put his arm around her waist as he quietly led her outside where the others were already loaded into cars and waiting for them.

Conner, Kira, Adam and Rocky were going in Adam's Jeep Grand Cherokee with Jason, Trini, Ethan and Aisha in Jason's Chevy Tahoe and Tommy, Kim, Zack. Anton and Haley in Tommy's Escalade. Climbing into the Escalade, Haley decided to ride shotgun with Anton as Tommy climbed into the back seat and sat in the furthest row back, next to Kim and behind Zack. Tommy put his arm around Kim's shoulder as she rested her head against his own and he kissed her on the top of her head.

"I love you, Kim," he said in a whisper "Thank you for the best birthday I've ever had."

"You're welcome," Kim replied, kissing him softly "And I love you, too."

Tommy nodded his head and then fell silent, keeping Kim close for the rest of the drive but not saying anything either. Together, they enjoyed the moments of silence knowing full well that there wasn't going to be another one for quite a few hours once they got back home.

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_I don't really know where that whole thing with Zack came from. I just realized in an earlier chapter that I said no one had talked to him in years then I had him at the end of my last chapter. I had to come up with a reason and my idea seemed pretty creative at the time I wrote this. I don't know how you guys felt about it but I thought it was something kind of different but still something Zack would do and be good at. Either way, hope you liked it! Be sure to leave a review ;-)_


	7. Palm Meets Face

Conner laid sprawled out on his back, passed out and occupying Tommy's backyard lawn with his arms and legs extended out as far as they could go as he laid there sleeping, unaware of the two people that were standing over the top of him. Ethan gave Rocky a knowing look as he handed him a can of shaving cream, pulled a feather out of his pocket and smiled.

"Dude, this is awesome," Ethan said excitedly, allowing his voice to get loud as Conner stirred and Rocky held a finger to his lips "My bad."

Rocky nodded and crouched down quietly, gently supporting Conner's hand with his own as he squeezed a liberal amount of the white foam into the young man's hand. He looked up at Ethan and nodded, his accomplice kneeling down and placing the feather against Conner's chin. With a silent flick of his wrist, Ethan dragged the feather across his friend's face, trying not to laugh when he unknowingly slapped himself in the face, smearing the cream all over himself.

They heard the backdoor open and turned to see Tommy standing there, arms folded across his chest with an unenthused look on his face. Too intoxicated to argue or fight with them, he shook his head in disapproval and then shut the door but not before making sure to lock Rocky and Ethan out of the house.

The pair didn't even notice and just continued working on Conner, more than just the shaving cream and feather ready to use while Tommy stepped away and entered the kitchen. Grabbing a handful of beer bottles out of the fridge, he carried them into the living room and set them on the coffee table. Everyone that was left reached out and grabbed a bottle, Tommy sitting in between Kim and Kira on the loveseat, Jason and Trini sharing the couch with Zack and Aisha, Anton in the recliner and two chairs pulled in from the dining room that Adam and Haley were occupying together.

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_Flashback…two hours earlier_

"So you're the one that helped him do all this?" Adam asked, admiring the basement lab and headquarters of the Dino Thunder operation "It took Alpha and Zordon years to create a fully functional Command Center and they had Edonite and Eltarian technology. This is incredible."

"Thanks," Haley blushed, Adam smiling back at her "It took a lot of work but it was worth it. I told him it would take years, he gave me months but we did it. For some reason I've just never been able to say no to him when it comes to this stuff."

Adam smiled at her knowingly, understanding completely just how persuasive Tommy could be when he set his mind firmly on getting his way. Every single person who had ever been a Ranger had been down that road before with him and they all knew just to back off. For as good of a person and a leader as he was, his emotions sometimes clouded his mind from seeing the whole picture.

"Yep. Tommy can be very persuasive," Adam smiled, Haley nodding in agreement "So what's the deal with you two. How'd you guys meet?"

Haley chuckled and sat Adam down in a chair, telling Adam the story from start to finish, college to Dino Thunder, while he sat there in amazement, not knowing what to say. He would nod occasionally, finally starting to understand just how deep being a Ranger went with Tommy. Adam didn't mind walking away and giving his powers to Carlos but Tommy, he hated the idea that he was being forced to give up his powers.

The twice re-incarnated Black Ranger didn't realize until that moment that Tommy had loved being a Ranger so much that he had basically devoted his life to it even when he wasn't active.

"I guess the rabbit hole goes pretty deep, huh?" Adam asked in a mutter, Haley nodding again "What do you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking. Being associated with a Ranger has never been a big money maker."

"Tell me about it," Haley laughed, Adam chuckling with her, eyes squinted ever so slightly "I have my own little café called Haley's Cyberspace. It's basically a coffee and smoothie shop with computers for the kids to use. Tommy said it reminded him of a place a guy you all knew named Ernie used to run."

"The Youth Center and Juice Bar," Adam answered, smiling at the old memories of their favorite hangout spot "If we weren't in school or fighting bad guys, we were probably at the Youth Center. We spent more time there than we did at our own houses."

Haley laughed, playfully nudging Adam with her shoulder, surprised when he slipped his arm around her waist. She didn't resist, allowing Adam to hold her, resting her head against his shoulder and letting the comfort it presented to take over.

"So what's your story?" Haley asked softly, nestling up against Adam "Kira told me about the dojo after helping Operation Overdrive but aside from that and being a Ranger, I don't really know anything about you."

"That's because there's really not much to know. I'm a pretty simple guy, as far as Rangers go. I moved to Angel Grove from Stone Canyon midway through my sophomore year of high school and a few weeks after that I took Zack's place on the team when he left for the Peace Conference with Jason and Trini," Adam explained, Haley listening with obvious interest "Right before I graduated and left the Rangers, I had been working as a stuntman for a few movies. I started doing that full time for about six years until I saved up enough money to open my own dojo. I've had the Black Fist Academy for almost four years now and I love it. Cheesy as it sounds, getting the chance to help kids has always been important to me."

"It's not cheesy, it's sweet," Haley muttered in reply, resting her hand on Adam's knee and looking him right in the eye "Has anyone ever told you that you have really pretty eyes?"

"I get that a lot actually," Adam admitted with a smile and a shoulder shrug "But hearing a pretty woman like you say it never seems to get old."

Haley blushed a little and looked up at him with a smile which only got bigger when he planted a soft kiss on the top of her forehead. He was taken aback a little when Haley cupped his cheeks and gave him a firm kiss right on the lips. After a brief hesitation, Adam started reciprocating the kiss that ended up lasting quite a few minutes.

"Wow," Adam whispered when he pulled back "I…uh…was that weird for you? Not that it was weird for me. I really enjoyed it, I just…"

His rambling was cut off when Haley pressed her lips up against his again, silencing him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Adam slipped his arm around her waist, kissing her back with passion in another long lasting embrace.

"Cute, smart, funny and not a bad kisser," Haley said softly, tugging at Adam's shirt "You just might be good enough to take me out on a date, Mr. Park."

"I wouldn't have a problem with that," Adam smiled at her, kissing her on the forehead again "How does next Friday sound? I'll close my school early, drive up here and pick you up around seven."

"Next Friday at seven it is then," Haley answered, silently thanking her lucky stars at her luck "You wanna go back upstairs and see what everyone else is doing?"

Adam nodded his head, standing up and extending his hand to Haley who accepted it graciously as he helped her to her feet. Haley had expected Adam to let go once she was on her feet but was pleasantly surprised when he held on, interlocking their fingers as they made their way up the stairs.

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Tommy had been staring at Adam and Haley off and on for close to half an hour, watching as Haley snuggled closely up against him, glaring at the way Adam had his arm around her waist. Luckily, neither of them had noticed it but Kim had and a few discreet elbows to his side snapped him back into the real world.

"Your boyfriend's getting messed up out there," Zack muttered to Kira, peering through the window as she turned around and looked with him "Shaving cream on the face and…is he in his underwear?"

Kira got a horrified look on her face at the sight of Conner who was now awake but tied to a tree in nothing but a pair of silk boxer shorts and socks, Rocky and Ethan pouring honey all over him. All Tommy needed to hear was the word "underwear" and he was on his feet, sprinting towards the door that led into the backyard that wasn't really a backyard at all. It had no fence, the lawn just suddenly ended and the forest took over.

With no neighbors for miles, Tommy just didn't feel the need to have a big chunk of wood fencing him in. He liked the openness that the forest provided. There was a small creek that ran a half-mile into the forest and he had spent many an afternoon at the creek, fishing pole dipped in the water but never catching anything while he graded papers.

Stopping at the door, Tommy realized he had an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Turning around, he looked at Adam and pointed his finger at him.

"Your best friend is running this operation," Tommy said sternly "That means you get to help put an end to it. Let's go."

Adam looked at Haley reluctantly, not wanting to leave her side but she gave him an encouraging smile and he rose from his seat to help Tommy. Kim shot Tommy an angry look but he ignored it, opening the door and then shutting it behind him as he and Adam ran out into the woods.

"I'll kill you pieces of shit when I get out of here!" Conner yelled, struggling to move around as Adam and Tommy approached them "Oh, thank God. Dr. O you gotta get me out of here."

"Alright, that's enough you guys!" Tommy yelled, he and Adam pulling Ethan and Rocky away from Conner "You bastards covered him in honey in the middle of a freaking forest? What if there were bears out there?"

Rocky and Ethan were trying to contain their laughter but the sight of Conner tied to a tree covered in honey and shaving cream was hard to resist. Tommy rolled his eyes angrily at them when they burst out in a fit of laughs while he and Adam tried to get Conner, who wasn't being very cooperative, untied.

The pair of pranksters got scared the moment they realized that Conner was no longer bound to the tree and took of running towards the house, Conner not far behind in the chase. Adam started walking towards the house as well but Tommy placed a firm hand on his chest to stop him.

"Is there something wrong?" Adam asked, trying to get a read on Tommy "Look, if this is about Haley…"

Tommy just held up a hand in order to silence his friend. He trusted Adam but Haley was one of his best friends. No matter how much trust he had in Adam, there were things he needed to say and he was going to say them regardless of who it was.

"She's been screwed over, Adam. She's been screwed over a lot. Guys haven't always treated her like she deserves to be treated," Tommy said quietly, Adam nodding in silent understanding "I know I probably don't have to tell you this 'cause you're family bro, and I trust you, but if you hurt her there will be hell to pay. Don't fuck her over, Adam."

"I don't think I could even if I wanted to, Tommy, but I don't need a lecture from you either," Adam snapped back, catching Tommy slightly off guard "Look, I know she's your friend and you care about her but don't come at me like I'm some random jerk off the streets. Have you ever known me to ever even _say_ something remotely rude to a woman?"

"You're right, man. I don't need to lecture you," Tommy admitted with a reluctant smile "I just don't want to see her get hurt. You'd feel the same way if it was Aisha snuggling up to a guy, regardless of who it was."

"Yeah, I know. Just believe me when I say that I already really like Haley," Adam requested, Tommy nodding in agreement "I don't get all the eyelash batting and flirty smiles like you and Jason do so to have a beautiful woman like Haley actually remotely interested in me is something I don't want to mess up. Now since we're on the same page can we please go back inside? I have a hot woman that's cooling off and a cold beer that's getting warm inside waiting for me."

Tommy chuckled and nodded his head, touching knuckles with Adam as they headed back towards the house. Ethan and Rocky were sitting on the floor getting a strict lecture from every single female in the room when they got back inside.

"Where's Conner?" Tommy asked loudly, turning the women away from their lecture, Rocky and Ethan both breathing sighs of relief at the small break they were receiving.

"He's in the shower," Kim answered shortly, turning back to Rocky and Ethan again "What the hell were you two thinking? There could have been bears out there!"

"Jeez, she really does sound like you, Tommy," Rocky muttered, no one surprised when Kim's hand connected with his head "Hey, what was that for and why doesn't he get one?"

"It's for being a jerk," Kira interjected, looking at Ethan "And he does get one."

Kira cocked her arm back and swung at Ethan but the brains of the team ducked as the sound of Kira's open palm connecting with the side of Rocky's face echoed throughout the living room. Rocky flinched a little and rubbed the side of his face gingerly, everyone afraid to say or do anything.

"Oh man, I am so sorry, Rocky. I totally didn't mean to hit you," Kira apologized, glaring angrily at Ethan "Why did you have to duck? If you had just been a man and taken it this wouldn't have happened!"

"Sorry for not wanting to get hit," Ethan grumbled, the others chuckling slightly as the tension slowly started to lift "And judging by the sound, I was smart to do it."

"Yeah you were," Rocky laughed, rubbing his cheek still "Now I see why she's a Yellow. Pink's don't hit nearly that hard."

"Is that a theory you want to test, Mr. DeSantos?" Kim shot back, Rocky immediately shaking his head "That's what I thought. Now who wants another drink?"

Voices came from everywhere, everyone but Anton piping up for another drink. He looked haphazardly at his watch, yawning loudly and pushing himself from the recliner.

"Not me. I have to be at the office in the morning so I'm going to head out," Anton said, Tommy nodding understandingly as the pair shook hands "Happy birthday, Tommy. I'll see you around."

"Thanks for everything you've done tonight, Anton," Tommy muttered in reply "I really appreciate all of it. This means more to me than you'll ever know."

Anton nodded his head, bowing out and saying his goodbyes before heading towards the door. He got halfway outside when he remembered that he had driven Haley to Tommy's and that she was still inside with the others.

"Do you want a ride home still, Haley?" Anton asked after reentering the house.

Haley looked over at Adam with an expression that said the decision was up to him. He nodded and smiled at her, sliding his arm around her waist and turning to Anton.

"I'll take her home when I leave," Adam replied, Anton nodding in understanding "Have a good night, Anton. Thanks again for dinner."

He nodded politely once more, this time exiting the house for good and leaving those younger than him to the party. Inside the house, Kim and Kira stood in the kitchen mixing drinks for everyone. Kim stood back with an impressed look as Kira spun bottles around, mixing drinks and filling glasses like a professional bartender.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Kim asked with a smile "Last time I checked they don't teach you that at Ranger school."

"My older brother is a bartender," Kira answered with a laugh, pouring some tequila into a blender "He taught me a few things. Told me they'd come in handy when I went away to college and, for once, he was right."

"So listen, Kira. I have a song that I'm writing but I need some help with it," Kim said to her, Kira listening intently now "I was thinking you could help me with it and if it turns out okay we could record it together and send it to the label for approval. I talked to my manager yesterday and he said if they liked how we sounded, putting you on the album wouldn't be a problem. He even said they'd pay you for it."

"Really? They're gonna pay me?" Kira asked in surprise, Kim chuckling slightly in confirmation "Wow. I've never gotten paid to sing before. What's the song like?"

"It's something upbeat and fun. I usually sing more slow, folk-type songs but this idea popped into my head and I haven't been able to shake it," Kim answered "I like what I have so far but it needs something else which is where I was hoping you could come in."

"Absolutely. How about we check it out tomorrow?" Kira asked, Kim nodding in reply "Awesome. You and Dr. O are the best, Kim."

Kim smiled back at her as they finished the last of the drinks and set them on two separate trays. Kira had just set a tray down on the coffee table when she felt a firm set of hands wrap around her waist. She had been expecting Conner but the body behind her smelled like Tommy. Kira spun around instantly, letting out a thankful exhale when it was just Conner.

"Why do you smell like Dr. O?" Kira asked, hugging Conner around the waist.

"I had to use his soap and stuff," Conner answered with a smile "Dr. O actually uses a loofah. Can you believe that?"

"Eww. I don't even want to think about what Dr. O does in the shower," Kira responded with a laugh "I think we're gonna play Apples to Apples. Do you want a drink?"

"No way," Conner answered, shaking his head "I think I'm tapped out for the night. Getting tied to a tree was a sobering experience. Probably not gonna drink for a while."

Kira laughed and nodded her head, kissing Conner softly as Rocky and Ethan cheered him on from their spots on the floor.

"Go Conner! It's your birthday!" the pair sang in unison "We're gonna party like it's your birthday!"

"Actually, it's my birthday," Tommy interjected with a laugh, everyone rolling their eyes at him "But the women want to play Apples to Apples and I know better than to argue with a bunch of female Rangers and Haley so we're gonna play."

Aisha pulled out the green box excitedly, dealing out cards as she explained the rules to everyone. By the time everyone had taken their first turn, Adam had fallen asleep on Haley's shoulder and was snoring loudly. Haley looked at Tommy with a slight smile which he returned immediately. Even if he was worried about her getting hurt, he was equally glad to see her happy.

"I think I'm gonna take frog boy here upstairs and call it a night," Haley said softly, pushing Adam on the shoulder to wake him up "Let's go, Captain No Fun. I'm not carrying you."

Haley pulled a groggy and drunk Adam to his feet, waving to the others and saying goodnight as she helped him up the stairs. Once they were out of sight, they turned back to the game.

"Alright, my turn. The word is 'sexy,'" Tommy said as the others looked through their cards to find a matching word. He picked up their cards and scanned through them, immediately discarding the ones that weren't funny. "This is tough," he muttered, holding two cards in his hand "If I wasn't holding 'pink,' it would have been Jennifer Aniston."

Tommy threw the Jennifer Aniston card into the pile, expecting Kim to take the cards since he had picked "pink," thinking she had played it but was surprised to find Jason scooping the cards into his quickly growing pile. Jason gave Tommy a smile as his best friend just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Like anyone at this table didn't know you would have picked that?" Jason asked with a laugh "The only thing that could have beaten it was a card that said Kimberly Hart."

Kim blushed a little as everyone sitting around the table laughed out loud at Jason's very true statement.

Aisha was next and pulled a card that said "annoying," setting it down on the table as the others looked for a good word to play. After a minute or two, everyone had played a card and Aisha started looking at them, an angry look creeping over her face.

"I take offense to whoever thought 'bears' would be a funny word to play," she snapped at Rocky who looked genuinely surprised "Don't give me that look Rocky. Only a person as dumb as you would do…"

Aisha's voice trailed off as a group of heads all turned to look at Conner who had an equally surprised look on his face.

"What? I think bears are annoying," Conner defended himself, Aisha's glare getting more fierce "What's the big deal? What'd I do?"

"Aisha's spirit animal is a bear," Kim explained quietly, Conner still not understanding "When we were Rangers, Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Billy and myself went on a quest for new powers that were drawn from an ancient race called Ninjetti. The Ninjetti got their powers from the animal that resided inside of them. Tommy's the falcon, Adam is the frog, Rocky is an ape, Billy's a wolf, I'm a crane and Aisha's animal is a bear. We all kind of have a close bond with our animals."

"Oh," was all Conner could manage "Sorry. I didn't know."

"Don't let it happen again," Aisha grumbled "And just for that I'm picking _your _color."

Aisha flipped the card that said "red" onto the table, everyone now surprised when Jason reached out again to retrieve his pile of cards. Tommy, Rocky and Conner all stared at him with a feeling of betrayal as the original Red Ranger chuckled to himself.

"You gotta play of personality. I knew Tommy would pick pink because of Kimberly and I knew Aisha would pick red because of Rocky," Jason laughed, shaking his head slightly "Conner and the bear thing was just an added bonus."

"How come Jason always has the good cards?" Conner complained from the floor where he was sitting next to Kira who was playing the wall between him and Ethan and Rocky.

"The next word is 'terrifying,'" Kim interrupted, placing the card on the table "If you have a card that involves anything negative about me, I suggest you save it."

Tommy looked at his cards, smiling to himself and thinking he had this round in the bag without a doubt in his mind. From across the table, he met Jason's eyes and saw that his friend was wearing the same smile as he was. They each tossed their cards into the pile face down, Kim waiting until they were all there before picking them up and reading them.

"Monkey's aren't terrifying, neither is tofu," Kim muttered, tossing aside cards until she only had two left "You've got to be kidding me. This would have won," she said quietly, Jason and Tommy eyeing each other as Kim tossed a card onto the table that said "Paris." "If not for this one. I hope you're happy, Tommy."

Tommy looked up at her in surprise as she flung the card onto the table angrily, got up from the couch and stormed out of the living room with tears in her eyes. Everyone looked at the card silently, shock on every face in the living room except one when they read the word "Florida."

"I didn't play that," Tommy muttered softly, shock and surprise in his eyes "I played 'Paris' not 'Florida.' Who played Florida? Conner, if you played Florida I'm going to ring your neck!"

"I played it," Jason's voice interrupted, everyone looking at him like he had just said the sky was purple "I thought she would know that it was just a joke."

"Yeah, great joke pal," Tommy snapped angrily, catching everyone by surprise when he stood up and started clapping in Jason's face "Awesome. Way to remind her of something like that. Now I have to go calm her down and tell her why one of her best friends was a complete jackass."

Tommy spun around and took off into the backyard after Kim, Jason sitting on the couch as he stared at nothing in absolute shock. He blinked every few seconds but aside from that, he didn't move and no one said a word for close to five minutes.

"Why'd you do that, Jase?" Trini asked, finally breaking the silence "You knew it would only upset her and that's not like you."

"I…I don't know. I guess…," Jason stuttered softly, realizing why he had done it "I guess I just wanted to finally beat Tommy at something. I saw that I could finally be better than him at something and I just got so caught up in winning that I didn't even think about how Kim would react. I need to go talk to them right now and apologize."

The others all looked at him and nodded as he stood up from the couch and started towards the back door but Trini grabbed his arm and he stopped. She shook her head silently, pointing to his seat on the couch, telling him to sit down.

"Now is definitely not a good time. Kim's visibly upset and so is Tommy," she said softly "Going out there will only make them both more upset. Give them awhile to calm down. When they come back inside, then talk to them."

Jason nodded, returning to his seat as Ethan pulled a card and read it out loud but no one was really up for playing the game anymore. Aisha grabbed the remote and turned on the television for no other reason than to break the awkward silence that had instantly crept over the room.

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_Outside…_

Kim was leaning up against a tree in the middle of the woods when Tommy finally managed to catch up to her. She shot him an angry glare and tried to walk away but he reached out and grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. Instinctively, she reached back and slapped him in the face, causing him to let go in surprise as Kim walked away.

"I didn't do it, Kim! I didn't play that fucking card, it was Jason!" he called out, rubbing his face softly as Kim froze and he lowered his voice to almost a whisper "Thanks for the best birthday ever."

Tommy turned around and started walking back towards the house as Kim leaned up against a tree, lowering herself until she was sitting at the base. Tears filled her eyes immediately and, hands reaching towards her face, she buried it inside her open palms. The loud sobs reached Tommy's ears and he stopped for a brief moment, thinking about going back but decided against it.

He opted to increase his speed instead, going at a faster pace and not stopping until Kim's crying was no longer audible to him. Yanking the sliding glass door open, Tommy stepped into his house and stared angrily at Jason.

"She slapped me," he muttered as he walked by "I hope you're fucking happy, dick."

Going up the stairs, he ran as fast as he could until he reached his bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him. Sitting on his bed was a white envelope with his name written across it in perfect cursive. Haley's cursive.

He took the envelope and carefully opened it, pulling out a piece of binder paper that was folded in thirds. Turning on a light, he found his glasses on the nightstand and put them on as he read the letter to himself in silence.

_Tommy,_

_First, let me say Happy 28th Birthday. Can you believe we've known each other for almost ten years already? I guess the old saying about time flying really is true. It's hard to believe that just over two years ago Conner, Ethan and Kira stumbled into your lab on detention, huh? Anyway, I didn't really get you a present but I did take care of your tab at the café so consider that your gift. Considering you owed me over five-hundred bucks, I'd say that's a fair trade. You're my best friend, Tommy, and my only friend besides the kids. Thank you for asking me to tutor you ten years ago. My life would have been boring if you hadn't. You're the best and I hope you had a great birthday, Tommy._

_Love Always, Haley_

Tommy smiled to himself as he finished the letter, tucking it back into the envelope and setting it on the nightstand. He was just about to turn the TV on when he heard the door open and found Haley standing there staring at him.

"I heard the door slam. What happened?" she asked instinctively, Tommy not even trying to hide anything as he started crying and she rushed to his side "Tommy, what happened?"

"She slapped me. For something I didn't even do," he muttered through the tears "Jason played a card that said 'Florida' and Kim thought it was me so she got pissed and ran off into the woods. I chased after her and she slapped me."

"Oh man, you poor thing. Come here," Haley whispered, pulling Tommy into a tight hug "It'll be okay, Tommy. She was just upset. Women get that way sometimes when they think someone they trust has betrayed them."

"She hates me. I didn't even do anything and she hates me," he stammered, Haley squeezing tighter "Six days. That's how long we've been back together and we're already fighting."

Haley went to speak but the door opened again and they broke their embrace, turning their heads to see Kim standing in the doorway. Using his shirt sleeve, he wiped at his eyes as Kim began walking towards the bed, hands behind her back and Haley looking at her apprehensively.

"Would you give us a minute, please?" Kim asked politely, Haley still looking apprehensive but nodding in agreement "Thank you, Haley."

Kim shifted a little bit as Haley walked by, keeping her hands behind her back until the door closed shut behind her. She stepped backwards towards the door, locking it and then walking back over to Tommy. Setting a bottle of Jack Daniels on the nightstand and pulling two shot glasses out of her pocket, she filled the glasses and handed one to Tommy.

"I'm sorry. Jason told me what happened," Kim said softly "I had no right to jump at you in the living room and I definitely had no right to slap you. I just…I can't explain why I did it, I just did and I feel awful."

"A relationship between us is never going to work if you do things like that every time you think I've done something wrong," Tommy muttered, rubbing at his cheek that still stung "I know you were just upset about the whole Florida thing but you of all people should know me better than that. Why would I make fun of something that hurt me so badly?"

"I don't know, Tommy, I just saw Florida and snapped. I didn't even think about it," Kim confessed as tears started to fill her eyes as well "But I can't do anything other than apologize and hope you'll forgive me because I really am sorry. Forgive me, Handsome?"

Kim raised her glass to him as a peace offering, Tommy staring at it apprehensively, making Kim think long and hard about what had happened. After what seemed like hours but was only a minute or two, he lifted his glass towards hers.

"Forgiven," he said simply, tapping his glass against hers and taking his drink "You up for another round?"

"Baby," Kim answered with a laugh as she reached for the bottle "I can out drink you any day of the week. There is no quit in Kimberly Ann Hart."

Kim and Tommy each took another shot which quickly turned into another and another and another and another until they had each taken seven shots in rapid succession. Feeling courageous, Kim wrapped her arms around Tommy's neck and kissed him passionately, pushing him down against the bed and climbing on top of him. Pulling her top off, Tommy did the same with his shirt before Kim bent her head down for another kiss.

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Tommy woke up at ten to a near empty house and two notes taped to the fridge, one from Haley and one from Jason. Aside from Kim who was still asleep upstairs, he was the only one in the house. He pulled Jason's note down first, reading it quietly as he pulled a Starbuck's bag from the cabinet and started scooping ground coffee beans into a filter.

_Tommy and Kim,_

_I'm really sorry again about last night, guys. I feel terrible about it. I just wasn't thinking and I did something stupid. Tommy, I know you dealt with some shit because of me and I'm sorry for that too. I know I put you in a bad spot last night. Hopefully we can chalk this up to doing something stupid under the influence and move on. Give me a call later. Sorry again._

_Jason_

Setting the note on the counter, he turned towards the sink, filling the pot with hot water and returning it to the stand before starting it. He pulled down a box of Rice Krispies and a bowl from the cabinet, a spoon from the drawer and a carton of milk from the fridge, making a bowl of cereal before reading Haley's note. "He feels really bad" it said at the top, a big arrow pointing in the direction of where Jason's letter had been on the fridge.

_Figured you'd want some alone time so I got everyone out pretty early this morning. Adam and I are taking the kids back to the restaurant so Conner can get his car and then they're all going to his house. Jason, Trini and Zack went back to Angel Grove and Rocky and Aisha went back to Stone Canyon. Kira said to have Kim call her and Jason said to have you call him. Talk to you later. Haley._

Tommy grabbed the newspaper from the front porch, returning to the kitchen as he found the sports page and silently thought about the night before. Jason had done something that caused a lot of problems but he was also Tommy's best friend and had been there for him throught a lot worse than being slapped and yelled at._  
_

The sound of footsteps on the stairs brought Tommy's eyes from the newspaper he was reading to Kim who was entering the kitchen hesitantly. She looked scared, her eyes meeting Tommy's, the fear on her face easy to read especially for the man who knew her so well. He also knew exactly why she felt that way.

"Did we…" Kim muttered quietly, afraid to say it "Did we, you know…"

"Have sex? Nope." Tommy replied, Kim breathing a sigh of relief "I went to get a condom and when I came back you were asleep."

"Oh man, that's embarrassing," she said with rosy cheeks "Wait. Why do you have condoms if you don't have sex?"

"It's better to be safe than sorry. My dad gave me my first condom the day I turned thirteen," Tommy answered "I got a big long lecture about safety and it kinda just stuck so I've always kept condoms just in case. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, I guess."

"That makes sense, I guess," Kim responded, pouring herself a cup of coffee "You don't seem too upset that I fell asleep on you, though."

"I'm not. In fact, now that I've had some time to sober up, I'm glad you did," Tommy said matter-of-factly "I don't know that I'd want our first time to be in some drunken stupor. I want to remember it and cherish it, not be too drunk to know what happened."

Kim nodded in silent agreement, taking a seat at the kitchen table next to Tommy as he looked around the house. Someone had obviously cleaned up because it hadn't been like that when he went to bed. There were no cups lying around or empty beer bottles on the tables. The floor had been vacuumed and the mess in the kitchen had been cleaned as well.

"Kira wants you to call her later," Tommy said in between reading the sports page and eating his cereal "Are you guys gonna do the song when we go to L.A.?"

"Yeah. I actually gave her a copy of some lyrics that I've been working on last night and told her to work on making them better," Kim answered "Hopefully we can do something good and get her on the record. Lyric Street said they'd pay her fifteen-grand if the song made the album, twenty-five plus royalties if it becomes a single. There's a whole bunch of paperwork we're going to have to sign if they like it but I'm not going to worry about that until we know for sure if they like the song."

Tommy nodded his head, taking a bite of cereal and continuing to read the sports page. After reading every couple of lines he'd raise his eyes away from the paper and smile at Kim, silently letting her know that he hadn't completely forgotten that she was there. He kept an open hand on the table, Kim's resting in it, as he finished the article and set the paper on the table.

"So what do you want to do today?" Tommy asked, getting up from the table to rinse his bowl "When are we going back to L.A.?"

"We're going back the day after tomorrow. The kids are all staying with their parents right now so we don't have to go to Turtle Cove to pick them up. Kira wants to know if Ethan can come too by the way," Kim answered with a sly grin "I told her it was fine since it _is_ my apartment and everything. And as far as today goes, I don't care. I just really don't want to go out though. After all the fun last night, my body's starting to remind me why I'm getting too old for that stuff."

A small chuckle escaped from Tommy's mouth as he bent down and kissed Kim softly on her cheek. She returned his kiss on the cheek and then did him one better with one on his lips, tasting the cereal and coffee but not really minding it as he reciprocated the kiss.

"How about I go rent us some movies and we just spend a quiet day in together? Does that sound okay to you?" Tommy asked, Kim nodding in agreement "Good. Write down a couple movies you want while I go take a shower. I'll stop at the store and get some stuff for lunch too."

Tommy gave Kim a quick peck on the cheek before heading for the stairs. As he exited her line of vision, she silently cursed herself for falling asleep the night before. Part of her was glad that it hadn't happened that way but another part secretly wished they had slept together, saving them the awkwardness of a sober first time.

Alas, there was no reason to think about hypothetical's. It didn't happen and that was a fact there was no avoiding. Pushing the thoughts of the night before out of her mind, she retrieved her notebook from Tommy's den. With a pen in hand, she took a seat on the couch, reading the lyrics for the song she wanted to sing with Kira, looking everywhere for ways to improve it.

Quietly humming a tune to herself, she scribbled at the paper for quite awhile, jumping up in surprise when she heard the front door open. Tommy came back into view with a take and bake pizza in one hand and a bag of movies in the other.

_Wow, I must have really zoned out_ Kim thought to herself_ I didn't even hear him leave._

Kim looked up at the clock and saw that it was almost eleven-thirty, over an hour since Tommy had gone upstairs to take his shower.

"Sorry I took so long," Tommy said with an apologetic smile, setting the pizza in the fridge and heading to the couch to sit with Kim "I got _Sleepless in Seattle_ and _Sixteen Candles _just for you."

"Aww, you remembered," Kim replied affectionately, resting her head against Tommy "That is so sweet. I can't believe you still remember what my favorite movies are."

"Kim," Tommy responded with a smile "If there's one thing I've learned it's that you never forget things about the people you love."

"I agree," Kim smiled "Which is how I know you have _Major League _and _Swingers_ sitting in that bag too. Am I right?"

Tommy gave Kim an impressed smile, pulling out one of her movies and putting it in to the DVD player. Returning to the couch, Tommy wrapped his arm around Kim's shoulder as she quietly snuggled up against him. He flipped Kim onto her side, pulling her into a spooning position then grabbing a blanket from on top of the couch and throwing it over them.

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	8. Something About Red

Little bright dots of white light illuminated the night sky, unmolested by buildings and trees which was something Tommy had come to appreciate after discovering the secluded area in the woods. Like his spot down by the creek, this one had been another place he had frequently visited to get away from things and just relax. It was quite a hike, nearly four miles from his house but for him, it was worth every step.

If one was to follow the path of creek deep into the woods, they would find that it never really ended but instead turned into something that was much larger. Deeper into the woods the creek got wider and wider, expanding almost to the size of a small river until it met the edge of a cliff and suddenly plummeted downward into the lake below. Where trees should have been someone had cut them back leaving a little over half an acre of nothing but green grass on either side of the creek.

In just over five years of living in Reefside, Tommy had never seen anyone ever do anything to take care of the area. He had never seen anyone fertilize, water, or mow the grass. It just seemed to stay one length, never brown or blemished, always soft and luscious green grass. The lack of trees also gave a clear view to the night sky and even the most untrained set of eyes could see thousands of stars and dozens of constellations that weren't normally visible for someone in the city, where buildings seemed to always block everything.

It was the last night before Tommy, Kim, Kira and Conner were going to Los Angeles and there were three blankets laid out on the grass: one occupied by Tommy and Kimberly, another by Conner and Kira and the last one by Adam and Haley. The group of six had come out in the late afternoon with a barbecue, some food and drinks, a radio, a Frisbee, and a football. Conner had objected firmly to the odd shaped ball, citing the need for something a little rounder and more kickable, but no one else aside from him played soccer.

Kira and Kim had also brought their acoustic guitars which came in handy when the guys and Haley decided to play a game of football, neither one of them in the mood to play. They had spent the better part of an hour together, pen and paper in hand, writing lyrics for their song and working out the kinks in it. Tommy would look over from time to time at the pair and smile, happy that they were getting along so well together.

They had just finished a meal of hamburgers, grilled sweet corn, and macaroni salad courtesy of Tommy, and were laying out under the stars in silence when Kim noticed something moving in the sky. It was a dim light, in stillness appearing to be nothing more than a distant star but staying motionless was something this light was not familiar with. Too slow to be a shooting star and too fast to be a satellite, Kim's curiosity ended up getting the better of her.

"Hey, look up there. Does anyone else see that thing?" she asked, pointing towards the moving light in the sky. "It looks like that star is moving but it's not really going very fast."

Adam tried to adjust his eyes in the direction Kim was pointing but found that he was having trouble seeing much of anything. He had his eyes fixed on the constellation Orion, specifically on a star called Betelgeuse when he saw what Kim had been talking about. Slowly creeping from behind Betelgeuse was a soft light, barely visible, continuing at an upward slant towards Sirius.

"I think I see it too," Adam replied finally, Kim breathing a sigh of relief that she wasn't seeing things. "That's really weird. I wonder what that could be. It's too slow to be a shooting star but too fast to just be a satellite."

Tommy found it next and nodded in silent agreement with Adam and Kim, being extra careful sure not to say anything about it. Something was definitely moving up there but only three of the six really had any idea as to what it could possibly be. Conner, Kira and Haley all saw it a few seconds later and agreed with the others that it was definitely an odd sight.

"Too bad there's no way to find out what it is," Kira muttered softly as Conner gently placed his arm around her shoulder. "Dr. O, Haley, do either of you guys have any idea what that could be?"

Tommy turned his head towards Haley just for a split-second, giving her a look that quickly prevented her from saying anything about the moving light. He gave the same look to Conner and shook his head softly saying that he didn't know, which Haley immediately seconded.

Conner remained locked in a silence of feigned ignorance, something that he had actually become rather good at.

He played the part of the dumb jock to perfection but he wasn't as ignorant as most of those around him perceived him to be. Aside from Tommy, who graded his papers and knew what he was really capable of, Kira was the only other person he had ever shown that side of him to which is what had initially endeared him to her. She liked that he had shown her the real Conner McKnight, a Conner McKnight she could easily see herself being with and falling in love with.

Looking back at the sky, Tommy found the light again and watched it with great concern. Adam had no idea how right he had been when he mentioned the depth of the rabbit hole Tommy had found himself in. The five-time Ranger, along with Haley and Conner, knew something, something he obviously didn't want anyone else outside of them to know about.

They weren't the only ones that had seen the moving light, either. All over the state of California, reaching into the depths of space and even across time, people Tommy knew were seeing the same thing he, along with Conner, Haley, Adam, Kim, and Kira had just seen moments earlier. Silently, Tommy prayed that it wasn't what he had been thinking knowing fully that hoping for something else wasn't going to do him any good.

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_Space…_

_Two Hours Earlier_

A thin man with long hair, streaked blonde and pulled into a tight ponytail sat at the command console of the _Astro Megaship Mark III,_ the replacement for the _Mark II_ which a man named Zhane had crashed, and stared blankly into the depths of space. No view from Earth or from any other planet for that matter could match the one he got to see everyday. Alas, the spectacular lighting of stars, the rotation of moons and planets, they were all just consolation prizes to the utter chaos that space truly was.

Earthlings, so primitive in their technology and their centrist views of the universe, had no idea about the horrors happening around them. Most residents of Earth did not believe in what was popularly described on the planet as "extra-terrestrial life." Some even believed their planet to only be 6,000 years old, something he knew to be the farthest thing from the truth.

Having been to Earth, defending it and even marrying an Earthling, he found it hard to believe that so many people could believe they were the center of everything when there was much more that was going on. Edenoi had been all but wiped out, Inquiris was at its' breaking point and Kalderon had been on its' last leg for months.

The man caught the shadow of a figure in the hallway and spun around in his chair, calling out for the person to join him. A woman, shorter than he with long, auburn brown hair came into the room and took a seat next to the man who had called for her.

"What's going on out there, Andros?" the woman asked after sitting down and taking his hands in her own. "It looks like things are just getting crazier and crazier by the minute. Is it ever going to stop?"

"I don't know, Ash," he answered solemnly and honestly. "But something needs to be done before more innocent blood is spilled. We can't let there be another Bookala."

Ashley thought about the snowy, peaceful, defenseless planet that had been brutally destroyed without hesitation and nodded. She had seen it happen right in front of her face from the Megaship, like Alderan being blown up in _Star Wars_. There was nothing there but emptiness and debris left to float along in space after the Destroyers had left their mark.

For the last few years Andros and Ashley had been tracking the movements of the Destroyers, a term coined by Ashley because neither of them knew who it was that was doing it. Together with Andros she had seen half a dozen planets completely wiped out along with countless others that had been annexed and occupied, forcing the inhabitants into a world of near slavery.

The Destroyers moved stealthily too until they had chosen their next target. After they had settled on a planet, they orbited it for a few weeks, studying its' people and devising a way to take it as quickly as possible. Planets with fighters like were simply occupied while defenseless ones like Bookala were destroyed without a second though.

Even planets like Gamma Vile and Onyx, systems known for the evil inhabitants that occupied them were being taken over. Andros had been sure that Gamma Vile, Master Vile's home planet would have been left unscathed but it had fallen even faster than Alandria.

Only planets with incredibly strong defenses like Mirinoi, Aquitar and Triforia were passed by, apparently in fear of the Galaxy Rangers, Alien Rangers and Trey who had defended his planet from the most evil of creatures for centuries by himself.

As the Megaship entered the orbit of the KO System, quietly drifting by KO-1, Andros looked out the window and noticed a dim light slowly traveling through space. Without hesitation he jumped up from his seat and sprinted out of the room, Ashley right on his tail.

"Let's Rocket!" they yelled together, each jumping down a chute that launched them into space. "Galaxy Gliders, hang ten!"

The Red and Yellow Space Rangers were met by matching colored hover boards that they rode into the depths of space. They flew in silence for over forty-five minutes until Andros had found what he was looking for.

"Come on," he said to Ashley, spinning around on his glider "We need to get back to the Megaship now. Something bad is going to happen soon."

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_Silver Hills, CA_

_Present Time…_

Fifty men, all in blue jumpsuits, marched in unison along the grass that had just been watered especially for them twenty minutes earlier. At the front of the line were two men, both wearing matching uniforms and sunglasses even though it was pitch black outside, yelling at the men behind them. In the dark, the only distinguishing factor between the pair was the red beret that one of the men was wearing.

"You clowns want to be Silver Guardians!?" the bereted man yelled "Give me a break. How are you supposed to defend people when you're whining about a little exercise!?"

"It's freaking midnight," a man at the front muttered, causing the two leaders to stare at each other "Did you really expect us to be happy about this?"

"I beg your pardon? What's your name, son?" the hatless man asked, removing his sunglasses and looking at his name tag "Williams, is it? Well, Mr. Williams, consider yourself free from marching duty," he continued with a smug grin on his face. "And consider yourself unfit to be a Silver Guardian. Pack your things and vacate the premises immediately. Captain Collins and I do not have time for whiners and quitters. Anyone else care to join Mr. Williams?" he asked, not at all surprised when he was met with silence. "That's what I thought. Keep moving men!"

The group of fifty quickly turned to forty-nine as the first recruit was weeded out and dismissed. Two hours later, after a run through the woods and a shooting simulation, three more of the recruits had been dismissed, the others returning to their quarters, leaving the two leaders alone outside sitting on a picnic table.

"You think we were a little hard on them,_ Captain _Collins?" the darker haired man asked, making sure the word "captain" received plenty of sarcastic emphasis "Four recruits in under six hours is a new record for us, buddy."

"Yeah, what happened to getting soft in your old age? Man, Eric, it seems like forever since my dad put us in charge of the Silver Guardians," Wesley Collins reminisced with a smile. "Can you believe there was actually a time when we didn't get along? We used to always be at each other's throats about _everything_. Now look at us."

"Yep," Eric replied, stretching out and laying down on the table top. "You're about to get married to Jen. I'm about to get married to Taylor. The last six years have just flown by, man."

Wes nodded his head in agreement at Eric who kept his eyes firmly focused on the night sky hovering over his head. Initially, the brightness of the star Sagittarius prevented him from seeing the dimmer light behind it but his eyes opened wide when it came into view. Eric reached over and slapped Wes on the shoulder, pointing towards the sky. Wes found what Eric was pointing to almost instantly, his eyes training on the floating speck of light.

"Do you think Andros was right?" Wes asked with concern, Eric shrugging his shoulders "If he was right this could be it. They could be coming for Earth."

"But why would they want anything to do with Earth?" Eric questioned in reply, getting the same reaction he had given moments earlier "Andros said they went after planets that didn't have Rangers. Earth has more Rangers than any other planet in the universe. It'd be suicidal."

"You wanna take the TF Eagle up there and have a look?" Wes asked with a grin, both of them jumping into standing positions without a second thought "Time for, Time Force!"

Wes was instantly covered in the armor provided to him as a Time Force Ranger, his helmet latching shut as the final step in his transformation.

"Quantum Power!" Eric yelled, feeling the same rush of energy as Wes when the red suit and helmet enveloped him. "TF Eagle!"

The small ship came flying through the sky almost immediately, landing next to Eric and Wes after just a few seconds. The pair climbed into the ship with Eric at the controls as the engine started rumbling and they tore off into the sky.

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_Angel Grove, CA_

_Same time_

A red Corvette flew down the empty streets of Angel Grove, loud hip-hop music blaring from the speakers as the driver tapped his thumb against the wheel. He was in a hurry, late for a date with his newest girlfriend but still sat there calmly, clearly a man who had dealt with things far worse than being late for a date.

He was barely a mile from her apartment when he saw a set of flashing blue and red lights in his rearview mirror. Rolling his eyes, he punched the steering wheel angrily and pulled the sports car over, the police cruiser pulling up behind him.

Looking in his mirror, he saw a police officer step out of the car with his radio at his mouth, probably running the plates on the car. He came up to the side of the car a few minutes later, tapping on the window as the driver immediately rolled it down.

"License and registra…" the officer began but stopped when he recognized the driver "Oh, Mr. Johnson. I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know it was you."

From behind the wheel Theodore Jay Jarvis Johnson, also known as TJ, tried his best to hide the smile that always came onto his face when he got pulled over. Having his identity known had saved him on numerous occasions from things like speeding and parking tickets.

In a way, he felt bad about it. Zordon's rules had never been things he had taken lightly but he didn't do it willingly. The police officers just simply chose not to write him tickets when he was in violation of something. He would have paid the tickets if they had actually given them to him but he wasn't going to argue with them when they didn't either.

"It's fine. Can I go now?" TJ asked, the officer nodding and stepping away from the vehicle as TJ saluted him "Thanks, chief."

TJ was just about to turn around and start his car again when his eyes caught something floating amongst the stars. The police car passed him on his left, temporarily blocking his view of the sky. He rolled his eyes angrily when he lost the light, stepping out of the car and staring up into space.

He scanned the sky for close to five minutes until the light came back into his line of vision. There was a vibration against his leg and he immediately reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and looking at the caller identification. It was his girlfriend and, letting out an exasperated sigh, he flipped the phone open and answered it.

"TJ, where the hell are you?" the female voice asked, TJ rolling his eyes again "You were supposed to pick me up thirty minutes ago. If you're with another woman I swear to God I'll castrate you and feed your parts to my dog."

TJ was about to reply when the moving light caught his eye once more. He brought the phone away from his ear, muffling the yelling of his girlfriend on the other end as he stared at the sky again. Keeping his eyes fixed on the light this time, he brought the phone back to his ear.

"Something came up. I'm going to have to call you back," he muttered nonchalantly, hanging up the phone without waiting for a reply. "Shit. Andros was right. I wonder if Tommy knows."

Flipping his phone open again, he found Tommy's number and dialed it, bringing the phone back up to his ear and waiting as it rang. On the fourth ring, he heard the line click as Tommy answered his phone.

"TJ, now's not a good time," Tommy said in a whisper "I saw it, too. So did Conner. I need you to contact Andros as soon as possible. Find out if he knows anything and get back to me as soon as possible but don't call. Send me a text message or something. Gotta go."

TJ heard the line click before he could even get a word in to Tommy. Opening the door of his car, he lowered himself into it, started it up and made a U-turn in the direction of his house. Something was going on and Andros was the only person who could tell him what that something was.

Pushing harder on the gas, he watched as the speedometer hit 110 miles per hour and smiled. His time driving Red Lightning had paid off. The ten mile drive to his house would have taken a lot longer than ten minutes if not for his experience behind the wheel of the race car that doubled as his Zord.

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_Location unknown_

_Year 2027_

Standing on your head, your body leaned against a wall while trying to eat a stack of toast is probably not the best of ideas, especially considering the effects gravity has on trying to swallow. To the brunette woman watching in the shadows, it came as no surprise when the blonde male toppled over onto his back, choking on the toast.

She tried not to laugh at the actions of her friend who had put himself into this same position numerous times in the past. The first few times she actually got scared and tried to help him until she realized he was fully trained in diffusing the situation on his own. Now when he did it, she usually just sat back and laughed until he managed to dislodge the bread from his throat.

"What is it with you and toast, Bridge?" the brunette laughed, offering her hand to him and pulling him to his feet.

"It's buttery, Z," he replied with a smile, wiggling his fingers near his lips. "I don't see how you can't share the same loving relationship with toast that I do. It's amazing how great bread can become with a little heat and some butter."

Elizabeth "Z" Delgado shook her head and laughed at the downright quirkiness that seemed to follow Bridge like a shadow. Besides eating toast, standing on his head was a favorite pastime of Space Patrol Delta's Red Ranger which came along with the random babbling the other Rangers were so used to hearing from him.

After Jack left S.P.D. and Bridge had become the Blue Ranger, he and Z had been on the verge of a blossoming romance until Sky had become Commander with Bridge becoming the Red Ranger. There had been some rocky times between them after that, Z secretly questioning her eccentric friend's ability to lead a team of Rangers. Bridge, accidentally reading Z's mind, had picked up on her doubts and confronted her on them, causing the two close friends to drift apart.

It wasn't until Bridge was summoned by the Sentinel Knight to help the Overdrive Rangers that Z became convinced of his abilities. She apologized to him upon his return and the pair reconciled, slowly moving back in the direction they had been heading before their fight.

Standing on the observation deck on the fifteenth floor of the Delta Base, Bridge quietly slipped his arm around Z's waist, the Yellow Ranger resting her head on his shoulder as they stared at the stars. Z was the first to notice the dim light gliding across the sky.

"Look. It's a shooting star," she said with a smile, pointing towards the light. "How romantic is that? We should make a wish."

Bridge found what she was pointing to a few seconds later and had to struggle to keep his mouth from falling open in surprise. Shaking his head, he looked down at Z with a solemn expression on his face, the brunette woman wondering what was wrong.

"That's no shooting star," he muttered, surprise littering Z's face. "Do you still have the contact information for the Megaship inside the base?"

"Yeah," Z answered. "Why?"

"I need it," Bridge replied, turning away from the sky and facing the base. "Get a hold of Andros. I need to talk to him as soon as possible."

Without another word Bridge sprinted through the open door and back into the Delta Base, stopping in the hallway and looking in both directions. He heard Z come in behind him and grabbed her hand, taking off through the hallways once again.

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_Angel Grove, CA_

_Present time…_

Jason sat in the hot tub in his backyard with his arm around Trini, each of them holding a glass of champagne in their hands. He had his arm around her shoulders and she was leaning her head back, resting it in between his neck and shoulder as he ran his fingers up and down her arm gently.

It had been three years to the date since the pair of old high school friends had begun dating, a step both of them had wanted to take for a while but neither had been willing to admit for fear of ruining their friendship.

They teetered on the line of dating for almost a year, both of them constantly flirting with the other but never taking it any further until Trini had grown tired of playing games.

They had just gotten back from seeing a movie and Jason was walking her to her apartment door when, out of nowhere, she pushed him up against a wall and kissed him passionately. Jason reciprocated immediately and neither of them ever thought about it again. The kiss was all the confirmation they needed to know they belonged together.

Sipping her champagne, Trini looked up at her boyfriend and smiled, kissing him softly on the lips. He ran his fingers up the small of her back, returning the kiss with great satisfaction.

"Have you talked to Tommy or Kim?" Trini asked with concern after they broke the kiss, Jason shaking his head. "You really should call one of them. You guys are best friends. They'll listen to you whether you think they will or not."

"I left them a note apologizing and asking Kim to call me," Jason replied, not liking the topic of conversation, especially on their anniversary. "There's not much I can do besides that. Now let's drop it. I don't really want to worry about them on our special day."

Jason planted a firm kiss on Trini's lips, closing his eyes as their lips met in a passionate embrace. Their mouths opened wide, enveloping each other as they tried to keep the same pace. As they pulled apart, his eyes opened and he saw something behind Trini's head. Not wanting to startle her, he slowly shifted positions like he was teasing her, trying to get her to follow him.

Trini grinned at him, not knowing the true nature of his plan as she pushed herself towards him and locked him in another kiss. This one was shorter, just enough for Jason to appease Trini so he could get a better look when they broke the kiss.

He nearly bit his tongue trying to keep his mouth shut when he found the dull light once again. Silently, he said a few curse words, keeping his eyes on the moving dot that was slowly creeping across the sky. Trini had been talking the whole time but his focus on the light was drowning out the majority of what she had been saying.

"Jason," she said, pushing him on the shoulder and bringing him back from his daze. "You weren't even listening were you?"

"Yeah, of course I was," Jason answered in a mumble, quickly lifting his arm away from her shoulder. "I, uh…I think I'm gonna do what you said and go call Tommy. I'll be right back."

Jason hopped out of the hot tub, grabbing his towel and drying himself off as quickly as possible, Trini staring at his back with a shocked expression on her face. He turned around and smiled at her before disappearing into the house in search of his cell phone. It was lying on his bed, the screen glowing blue as he grabbed it just in time to see that he had four missed calls before the light turned off.

Flipping his phone open, Jason scrolled through the list of miss calls, two coming from Tommy, one coming from Rocky, and another from a number that he thought looked vaguely familiar but didn't recognize right away. He looked at the number momentarily, thinking about dialing it but opted to call Tommy like he had told Trini he was going to.

"Jason," Tommy answered after just one ring "I'm glad you called. I've been trying to get a hold of you for almost an hour. Did you see it?"

"Yeah, I did, but that's only part of the reason why I called," Jason answered somberly. "Look, man. I really am sorry for the whole Florida thing. I feel awful about it and having you and Kim mad at me just makes it worse. I really don't want you guys mad at me anymore."

"Hold on one sec, bro," Tommy replied, Jason waiting patiently for nearly three minutes until Tommy came back on the line. "Okay, I'm over it. So is Kim. You're forgiven."

Jason rolled his eyes and chuckled at the sound of Tommy laughing on the other end, Kim laughing even louder in the background.

"So is this what we think it is?" Jason asked seriously. "Has anyone else seen it? Have you contacted any of the others? Why are you talking to me when you should be calling people?"

"Slow down a second there and shift down a gear or two, pal. I have everything under control," Tommy answered reassuringly then lowering his voice. "Kim's in the other room so I can't say much. I'll call you tomorrow when I've gotten a chance to talk to Andros, okay?"

Jason said okay and hung up his phone, spinning around to see Trini standing in the doorway wrapped in a towel with her arms folded across her chest. He took a deep breath and prepared for the worst, knowing that Trini was going to question him until she was satisfied which meant it could be minutes, hours, or even days before she decided to let him off the hook.

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_Stone Canyon, CA_

_Same time…._

Rocky didn't know why he was awake or what he was doing outside dribbling a basketball up and down in the middle of his apartment complex at midnight. All he knew was that he hadn't been able to sleep and going outside seemed like the right thing to do, so he followed his intuition and went outside.

He was using the complex's basketball hoop, shooting every now and then but mostly standing on the concrete floor with no shoes or socks on, thinking about whatever happened to pop into his head. Things had been tough on Rocky in the past year, losing his mom to cancer and his dad in a car crash within three months of each other, but he had pulled through, maybe losing a step or two but standing nonetheless, a feat he was proud of.

Being in the hospital room when his mom died had been excruciatingly painful for him but seeing his father's mutilated body after the horrific fourteen car crash had been the thing that made Rocky damn near lose his mind. If it hadn't been for Aisha, who had stayed firmly by his side the whole time, he probably would have.

Like Jason and Trini, Rocky and Aisha had danced around a romantic relationship for years, probably longer than Jason and Trini themselves had. The many nights Rocky stayed up late, crying into Aisha's shoulders had drawn the pair closer together than they could have ever imagined. They were going on eight months strong, the longest relationship either one of them had ever had.

He tossed the ball at the hoop and missed badly, cursing quietly as the ball bounced down the path and into the shadows. He was just about to go after it when the ball came flying out of the shadows right at his head and he got his hands up just in time to catch it. Stepping into the light came Aisha, a smile on her face as Rocky flung the ball back at her.

Aisha caught the ball and then effortlessly flicked her wrist at the goal, not even looking at the ball as it sailed perfectly through the net. She had her eyes fixated on Rocky, trying not to laugh at him standing there in nothing but boxer shorts and a wife beater.

"Sorry, babe. I didn't mean to wake you," Rocky muttered, tossing the ball and sinking his shot "I just needed to get some fresh air and think."

"Don't apologize, Rocky. There's nothing to apologize for," Aisha replied, quietly wrapping her arms around his waist. "Just make sure you put on some clothes next time you decide to spontaneously play basketball at midnight. I don't want the neighbors getting to see my man like that. That's for my eyes only, monkey boy."

Rocky chuckled, Aisha shooting him a playful wink as he lifted his head and placed a tender kiss in the center of her forehead. The loving moment was quickly put on the backburner of his mind when he briefly looked at the sky, blinking in surprise at what he had seen then silently cursing as it disappeared out of sight. He pulled Aisha into a tight hug which allowed him to scan the sky without raising any suspicions about what he was doing.

He looked in the same spot he had seen the faint light the first time, allowing his eyes to trace its' path across the sky. His eyes followed the path of the light until he found it once again, coming out of the hiding place it had found in Betelgeuse. Watching it intently, Rocky tried to not make any sudden moves, keeping Aisha close and unable to interrupt him.

"You wanna go back inside?" Rocky asked quietly, not breaking his line of vision. "Come on. Let's go back inside."

Without another word from either of them, Rocky put his arm around Aisha's waist, picked up the ball and headed down the concrete path towards their apartment. When they were halfway down the path the sprinklers clicked on, spraying water all over the,

"Shit!" Aisha yelled as she let go of Rocky's hand. "Run!"

Aisha started sprinting towards their apartment and Rocky followed suit, quickly gaining ground until one of his bare feet slipped on the wet concrete, launching him into the air. The thud of his body meeting the cement was enough to make Aisha spin around, staring at him in a combination of shock and fear. Ignoring the liquid onslaught she was about to receive, Aisha ran back into wet territory, skidding to a stop at Rocky's side.

"Are you okay?" she asked with concern, water spraying her in the face. "Come on. We need to get out of the water. Can you walk?"

Rocky groaned and nodded his head, accepting a helping hand to his feet from Aisha as she threw his arm around her shoulder and tried to support him. She knew that, at the worst, he may have broken a rib but she liked it when Rocky needed her help. Unlike past relationships for Aisha, she and Rocky were on equal grounds, something she liked very much and quickly grew accustomed to.

She dragged him a few hundred feet until they reached their first floor apartment, stopping only long enough to unlock the door and get Rocky inside. As soon as she had the door open she helped him inside and tossed him on the couch before shutting and locking the door behind them. Rocky stretched out on the couch, groaning in pain as he grabbed his side.

"Ahh. I think it's broken," Rocky moaned "It hurts like a son of a bitch."

"Here, let me have a look," Aisha replied, moving to the couch and pushing against his ribs, Rocky groaning every time she pushed "It doesn't feel broken. It's probably just bruised. You're gonna have a nasty bruise for a while though. Just be glad you're not a Ranger anymore and don't have to fight with that thing."

Rocky groaned again but it was from Aisha's comment this time instead of the pain. He asked her to bring him his cell phone and muttered a few choice curse words under his breath when he saw two missed calls and one voicemail from Tommy. Struggling with the pain in his side, he dialed his voicemail number and listened to the message from Tommy.

_Rocky, it's Tommy. I don't know if you saw it or not but I think something's going on. I need you to send me a text message as soon as you get this. Just say "yes" if you saw it or "no" if you didn't. Talk to you later, bro._

Pushing the 3 on his keypad, Rocky deleted the message and pushed a few more buttons until he had opened his text messaging screen. He quickly typed the word "yes" and sent it to Tommy just as Aisha came back into the room with the bag of ice and the Ace bandage he had requested. Aisha lifted up his tank top, softly kissing the injured area a few times before pressing the bag against his side and wrapping the bandage around it tightly.

Sighing, Rocky thanked her and then stared blankly up at the ceiling, a whirlwind of thoughts swirling around inside his head. Thinking, he would admit without hesitation, had never been something he enjoyed or was really good at. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, preferring to follow his heart instead of his head for the most part. Many a time it had gotten him in trouble but it had also been the reason for his relationship with Aisha.

Under his own strength, Rocky swung his legs around into a sitting position then slowly pushed himself onto his feet. Aisha offered him a hand but Rocky wouldn't take it, preferring to get to his feet without any help. It took him a minute or two but eventually he managed to get up and quietly follow Aisha into their bedroom.

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_Reefside, CA_

_Two hours later…_

Conner and Kira, along with Hayley and Adam, had gone home an hour earlier and Kim had fallen asleep just twenty minutes before Tommy opened the secret door that led to the basement lair and descended down the staircase into the darkness. Moving his hand against the wall, Tommy found the light switch and flipped it on, bright light immediately illuminating the room.

Sitting at the computer, Tommy brought up an extensive program he and Hayley had created that allowed him to track every former and current Ranger regardless of where they resided. He could find the Ninja Storm Rangers at the Wind Ninja Academy, the Galaxy Rangers on Mirinoi or the Alien Rangers on Aquitar. He even had the capability to go into space to contact Andros, Ashley and Zhane or across time to keep tabs on S.P.D. in 2025 and Time Force in the year 3000 if he wanted to.

He decided to check on a few select Rangers tracking Aurico, TJ Johnson, Andros, Wesley Collins, Eric Myers and a young man he had only met twice in person named Bridge Carson. Clicking on Bridge's name he watched the monitor as a satellite in space slowly shifted positions, focusing itself away from Earth and into space. The screen started glowing a blinding white, a side effect of using the satellite to cross time and dimensions.

He waited patiently for the light to dim, keeping his eyes towards the floor and ignoring the faint beeping the computer was making. When the light had finally calmed down he brought his eyes back to the screen and waited for the connection to finish. A few minutes later an image of Bridge appeared on the screen, a worried look on his face.

_Tommy, what's up? There was this light moving across the sky but it was weird. It was way too fast to be a satellite but too slow to be a shooting star. Do you think we need to be concerned?_

"I don't know, Bridge," Tommy answered calmly. "Everyone in the RRC that I've talked to as seen it including you which means it's not only traveling through our dimension. It's crossing over into yours as well, apparently. In any case, it'd probably be months before they even made it into the galaxy. Just keep an eye out and make sure to contact me if you notice anything else that seems strange, okay?"

_Will do, Tommy. Bridge out._

The image of Bridge disappeared and Tommy clicked on the Silver Guardians, the blinding light reappearing as the satellite crossed time once again. Waiting for his connection with Wes and Eric to establish itself, he thought back to the first official meeting of the RRC.

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_Flashback, eighteen months earlier..._

Rangers from different cities, planets and eras of time gathered together in the living room of Tommy's house, all of them different but all of them sharing one thing in common. They were all Red Rangers. The idea for the Red Ranger Council came to Tommy a few months after the moon mission as a way for all the teams to keep tabs on each other.

Information was shared amongst all the Rangers under the pretense that it could be shared with their teams but the knowledge of where they had received the information had to be kept a secret. They all agreed and the first meeting had been fairly successful.

Starting with Jason, Rocky and Tommy the council included the Red Rangers from every team to date including Eric Myers who, as the Quantum Ranger, was given special admission to the meeting with Time Force's Red Ranger, Wesley Collins. TJ, Andros, Leo Corbett of the Galaxy Rangers, Carter Grayson of Lightspeed Rescue, Cole Evans of Wild Force, Shane Clarke of Ninja Storm, Conner of Dino Thunder, and Bridge Carson of S.P.D. were all in attendance, the only absent Red Ranger being Aurico who was present in the form of a holographic transmission from Aquitar.

It was a different experience from the one the first ten Red Rangers had shared on their mission to the moon to fight the remains of the Machine Empire. The majority of their time together had been focused on the mission, not leaving much time for any of the Rangers to really get to know each other, which was where the Red Ranger Council came into play.

Tommy knew everyone in the room either from his original tenure as a Power Ranger, the moon mission, or his return as the Black Ranger, but this meeting wasn't really for him. It was more for the others, not just as a way to share information but as a way for them to establish personal relationships with all the other Ranger teams.

At the meeting, the group of Red Rangers all agreed that any Red Ranger to come after them would automatically be granted admission to the council with special considerations for Rangers like Eric who wore red but wasn't technically a Red Ranger. Tommy, deciding crimson wasn't quite red enough opted not to invite Hunter Bradley, something that had initially caused a riff with Shane but, aside from that, there were no problems within the council. Even that one had been quickly squashed by a vote that was almost unanimous in not bringing in Hunter, silencing Shane who chose to adapt rather than segregate himself from the others.

It was at the first meeting where Andros first gave word to them of a potential, and very possible, threat. Detailing the path of the group Ashley had dubbed the Destroyers, most of the Rangers listened in complete shock to what Andros was telling them. Aside from Aurico, Andros and Leo, the rest of the Rangers were Earth based and had no prior knowledge of the attacks across space.

After hearing Andros' report the fourteen Red Rangers all agreed that, should a time come when they were needed, they would once again take up the mantle. Most of them didn't seriously think the Destroyers would attack Earth but some of the older Rangers knew it was a definite possibility and that they needed to be prepared just in case something actually did happen.

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_Reefside, CA_

_Present time…_

Ending his transmission with the Silver Guardians, Tommy slowly spun around in his chair finding himself face to face with Kim who happened to be the last person he had wanted to see at the time. Kim kept a look of confusion and anger on him, shocked at the conversation she had just watched take place between Tommy, Wes and Eric.

"What the hell was that about?" Kim asked loudly, trying to control her anger but not really succeeding. "What did you mean by 'we might be needing another meeting?' And what the hell is the RRC?"

Tommy took a deep breath, a pain jabbing at his heart because he knew he couldn't tell her what he was doing with thirteen other Red Rangers. He kept his eyes trained to the floor, silently praying that she would give up and drop it but he knew better than that. She kept staring at him in quiet protest, refusing to back down.

"Kim, I…I can't talk about it," Tommy muttered reluctantly. "All I can tell you is things, possibly bad things, are happening. That light we saw earlier wasn't a star or a satellite. We don't know what it is but we're pretty sure it's heading for us. I can't tell you any more than that. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I want to, but I just can't."

Kim thought back to the image of the two men she had seen on the computer, familiar faces that she was trying to place somewhere. She had seen them before but she couldn't remember where. Looking around the room, she noticed a picture on Tommy's desk of them with the other Dino Thunder Rangers as she realized where she had seen them.

In the living room, hanging on the wall over the television, were a handful of pictures that Tommy had actually liked enough to frame and display. She remembered the faces, placing them Tommy, Jason, and five other people she had never met before. They were standing in a circle fists extended out and touching, the sun set glowing eerily around them as they stared down at Alpha 7, who was taking the picture. All but one of the men in the picture, the same one who had been in the transmission earlier, all had had red on in some capacity.

"No. No way. Not gonna happen, Tommy," Kim said sternly, pointing a strict finger at him. "There is no way in hell you're doing the Red Ranger thing again. If there's a need to fight then you need to look outside that stupid Red ego you all have and realize that there are other people that are more than willing to help."

"It's not that simple, Kim. I wish it was but it's not, unfortunately," Tommy replied honestly, giving Kim a sad smile which only got him a frown in return. "Look, there are things about being a Red Ranger that you just don't understand but I don't expect you to. I love you and I would rather fight by your side than any of them, including Jason and Rocky but it doesn't work that way. The bond between Red Rangers, between leaders, runs deeper than with any other color. To them, I'm not the greatest Ranger of all time. Hell, I'm not even a leader. I'm just another Red Ranger in a group of many. Any stroke I have with Rangers ends the moment we're all together."

"Special bond, my ass. You do your little Red Ranger thingy and you have fun," Kim snapped angrily, her cheeks burning red. "I cannot believe you're just going to not include me because I didn't wear a stupid color like red. You are unbelievable, Tommy! Unfreakingbelievable!"

"What do you want me to do, Kim!?" Tommy yelled back as he began to fume. "You tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it! You want me to tell them I can't help them because my girlfriend won't let me!? Just say the word and I'll do it!"

Kim opened her mouth to yell back at him but immediately fell silent at the sight of Tommy sitting in the chair with tears filling his eyes. Without hesitation Kim moved to the seat next to him, holding his large hands in her much smaller ones. She reached out slowly, gently wiping away the single tear that had streaked down his face.

"I'm sorry, Tommy. I just…" Kim began, pausing briefly as Tommy looked up at her. "I'm afraid of you going out there and fighting without me. I hate thinking about you in harm's way and the possibility of something terrible happening to you."

The idea of Tommy fighting without her really did frighten her and it had since the day she had given her Power Coin to Katherine. Just like Tommy felt the need to constantly be looking over her shoulder she had felt the same way. Unlike Tommy, however, Kim chose to do it in a less conspicuous fashion.

Wiping at his eyes, Tommy nodded softly, accepting Kim's apology without saying a word. He knew she didn't like the idea of him fighting without her but there was something else going on with her that he didn't know about. The way she had reacted to the Florida card during the game, slapping Tommy when he tried to explain what happened to her and now snapping at him for something that was completely out of his control were all actions that weren't typical behavior for Kim and, deep down, it worried him.

Tommy kept his eyes on Kim and smiled at her softly, leaning in briefly for a quick kiss. Standing up in unison the pair reached out and held onto each other tightly, Kim burying her face against Tommy's sweatshirt but refusing to cry no matter how bad she wanted to.

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_Whew. That was a long one there, huh? LOL. Since this thing started as a oneshot, I sit down to write each chapter with no plan as to where it's going aside from maintaining continuity with things that have already happened in previous chapters. I thought I could make it through this whole chapter without actually saying who the others were but it was too damn hard. HAHA. The other Red Rangers that I targeted in depth (Jason, Rocky, Tommy, TJ, Andros, Wes, Eric, Conner and Bridge) are all Rangers that I actually know things about. I don't really know much about LG, LR, NS or WF so I kind of just mentioned them in passing. Hopefully I didn't miss any but please correct me if I did. I intentionally left out Nick and Mack, though. Anyways, hope you liked the chapter. I think it gives an obvious taste of what's coming without revealing _too_ much. Don't forget to review. Like I've said, reviews make writers happy and happy writers write faster. LOL. Talk to you all soon._

_Cheers,_

_WK_


	9. Welcome Back

The pink spandex outfit of years passed rested on a mannequin, encased in glass in a room that Tommy always kept locked. Outside of himself, no one had ever seen the inside of the room, not even Haley who knew just about everything there was to know about him. She had tried to get in once by picking the lock but had been thwarted by an alarm and metal bars that seemed to come from nowhere, blocking the door completely.

It wasn't that he didn't trust her either because he did. There were just certain things in his life that he didn't enjoy sharing, the not-so-secret secret room being one of them. One would expect such a heavily guarded room to contain something of monetary value but there was nothing in there anyone outside of a few select people would even understand or care about.

Like the house standing as a testament to his deceased brother, the room was a testament to his deceased past. Three weeks after TJ took his place on the team Tommy had been sitting at home still enveloped in the anger and betrayal he felt from being forced to give up his powers. He knew he couldn't be a Ranger forever, at least he thought it at the time but he still had wanted to go out on his terms like most of his teammates had done when they left.

Tommy envied Jason, Trini, Zack and Kimberly for being able to walk away in search of something else that was more important to them. Outside of being a Ranger the only thing Tommy had ever had that was more important was Kimberly but even that had been taken away from him. Without powers, teammates and a monster to fight he was nothing but a lost soul.

Life as a civilian was something he simply wasn't used to and readjusting to a "normal" life had been beyond difficult for the man who had spent nearly five years defending the planet. He had been there the longest so it was only natural for him to take longer than the others to come to grips with the power loss but three weeks was pushing a level of insane obsession.

At one moment he would feel like crying but then without warning his emotions would suddenly switch and he'd have to struggle to prevent himself from punching a hole in something. He had crossed a line in his young life that had only been breached once before in the passing days and weeks after getting the breakup letter from Kimberly.

Those were dark days for him as were these though he never really showed anyone his emotions with either event. Sure, the Rangers had seen the sadness he felt when he got the letter and for the next couple of days after that but the inner turmoil was something no one ever saw. He was a ticking time bomb of emotions, ready to blowup at anything that crossed his path in a way he didn't like.

He had just literally ripped a phone book in half in a fit of rage, using the torn pages to blow his nose as his emotions suddenly shifted when he heard a familiar beeping noise coming from down the hall. Rushing to his room he began digging through his old red duffel bag, tossing dirty clothes all over his floor until he found his old wrist communicator and brought it to his lips.

"Hello?" he asked softly. "This is Tommy. Who's this?"

"Tommy. I am teleporting you immediately," a familiar female voice answered. "Prepare to be teleported now."

There was no time to reply before Tommy felt the sudden cloak of energy that overcame him, leaving his room empty in flash of white light. When he touched down a few minutes later he was back in the Power Chamber, Dimitria staring down at his confused expression with a smile that her cloak concealed from him.

Tommy had to control the massive urge to roll his eyes at the woman who had tried to take Zordon's place as their mentor, a task no one could ever hope to accomplish. She might have done better in his eyes if not for her insistence on answering questions with more questions. Rocky would have had a hell of a time dealing with her if he hadn't hurt himself.

"Why am I here Dimitiria?" Tommy asked with clear annoyance in his voice. "And don't answer me with a question, either. I don't have time to play games so just answer my question like a normal person."

"Why answer your question," Dimitria began, Tommy's blood already beginning to boil. "When somebody far better suited than I can?"

Tommy gave her a questioning look as all the lights in the Power Chamber went off causing the room to become pitch black. What appeared to be a lightning bolt came flying through the chamber as Tommy stumbled backwards and lost his footing, falling hard onto the floor. More of the lightning bolts flew across the darkness for close to a minute until the lights suddenly came back on leaving Tommy pushing himself into a sitting position as he came face to face with an energy tube encasing the last person he was expecting to see.

"Zordon," he muttered in surprise, climbing to his feet slowly. "What's going on? Why did you bring me here?"

"Patience, Tommy. I have sensed great conflict in you these past few weeks and felt the need to step in," Zordon answered with a comforting smile. "There is something I need you to do, something I intended to do myself but will not be able to."

"What do you need me to do, Zordon?" Tommy asked with a sense of pride. "Just name it and I'll do it."

"I'm glad to see you haven't lost your enthusiasm. Alas, this task I am going to ask you to do is not an easy one," Zordon replied. "Tommy, you have served longer than any Ranger ever has and there will come a time in the future when you will be required to take up the mantle once again. The task I am asking you to do is actually two."

"Well what is it? Just tell me what it is," Tommy retorted eagerly, feeling needed for the first time in nearly a month. "Come on, Zordon. Let me have it already."

Sure, he was a little out of control but this sudden turn of events was a big deal for him. Seeing Zordon had instantly spun his mood around, the news that his assistance was needed only helping him in feeling better with each passing minute.

"My goal was to oversee every Ranger team that existed on Earth. Obviously, that was not possible or Dimitria wouldn't have stepped in. Tommy, I will die within the next two years," Zordon said with great calm, Tommy's mouth falling open in shock and confusion. "It will be up to you to see that things go smoothly here on Earth. Plans have already been put into motion for the next few generations but you must still watch over them when I am gone."

"But I don't understand. Why are you going to die?" Tommy asked in confusion. "And how do you know that you're going to die?"

"I will have to sacrifice myself for the good of the universe. I can not explain how I know, I just know," Zordon answered, Tommy trying to understand but struggling. "I said the plans for the next few generations of Rangers are already prepared but there will come a time when you will be needed. There will come a time when you must create your own power source and bring forth a new generation of Power Rangers."

Tommy stared at Zordon in surprise. He knew everything there was to know about being a Ranger, everything except how their powers really worked. He was a fighter and a leader not a scientist. Billy had cared about that stuff but it had never been important to Tommy. As long as he had powers or a way to get powers he didn't care about how they worked or were created.

He had questions. A ton of them. How was he supposed to create a power source? Who was he supposed to give the powers to? Was he supposed to use them himself? When was he supposed to do it?

"You will know when the time is right," Zordon smiled before Tommy could ask even one question "Goodbye, Tommy. Thank you and may the power protect you."

He was gone just as quickly as he had arrived, another flash of white light as the teleportation energy enveloped his body once more. The trip that had taken just a few short minutes before seemed to take a whole lot longer on the way back. When Tommy finally felt himself touch down he opened his eyes and found himself under the covers of his bed, remembering everything yet remembering nothing at the same time.

Obviously, that is a description that makes absolutely no sense. How could he possibly remember everything and nothing at the same time, right? I don't know. He just tells me the story and I write it down for him. It's strictly a professional relationship. The egotistical jerk still won't introduce me to Kimberly and I've been asking the guy for years.

Can you believe the guy actually makes me spend my time writing about him and his life, doesn't pay me yet won't even let me meet Kim? I think I'm getting a pretty raw deal…Sorry, got a little off track there. Anyway, back to the story.

Lifting the sheets away from his body, Tommy rolled over to find a piece of paper on his nightstand that hadn't been there before. It was a list complete with all the things Tommy needed to do as well as some information Zordon felt he needed to know. _The Things You Don't Know_ it said at the top, Tommy chuckling slightly.

"That's ironic," Tommy thought out loud "I was gonna use that one day. Guess I have to come up with a more creative title."

The next year and a half went by like a blur for Tommy. He went to Stanford, met Haley, confessed everything about his past to her and mourned with her when Andros gave him the news about Zordon's fate. Haley didn't have to know Zordon to mourn with Tommy. If he respected and loved him that much then she knew he was a man worth mourning.

Zordon's death marked the beginning to the end of a long era. His legacy would live on for a couple of years with new Ranger teams obeying and respecting the codes he had laid down with the first Rangers many millennia before but eventually his legacy would fade until the new teams of Power Rangers shared almost nothing in common with those that came before them. Following Zordon's wishes, Tommy had been forced to watch the deterioration of Zordon's legacy in real time as it happened, cringing with every Ranger who revealed their identity or used their powers for personal gain.

When Tommy had suddenly taken an interest in paleontology Haley took it as a sign that Zordon was telling him something and that he needed to get into gear with creating a power source. It took him years of work with Anton Mercer and nearly losing his life before he had made the Dino Gems. Years and risks that were well worth it in his mind.

Losing his power and Kim within a year of each other had nearly destroyed the young man's will to continue until Zordon had come back. Zordon telling him that he needed his help made him feel appreciated and useful again. Even if he couldn't fight as a Ranger he could still be involved in the Ranger world.

"So you see Kim," Tommy muttered, unlocking the case and gently removing the pink helmet. "I've never really walked away. I've spent my whole adult life involved with the Rangers somehow," he continued, extending the helmet to Kim. "This is yours. Dimitria let me keep a few things. I let the others take their suits and helmets but I kept all of mine and yours. Just in case."

Kim took the helmet from him cautiously, smiling as she held the familiar object in her hands. It definitely brought back memories, some good and others bad but memories nonetheless. It made her think of a different time with a different Tommy and a different Kim, a time when they both thought they knew where their lives were going, an easier time.

"Kat never looked as good as you do holding that helmet," Tommy smirked, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Those were good times we had. I miss them a lot. Having to fight without you there just didn't feel right. Not only on the battlefield but in life, too. I've spent ten years feeling empty without you and now I have you back and I'm not ever going to let you go again."

She smiled warmly at him, reaching out and wrapping her arms around his waist in a loving embrace. Resting her forehead on his shoulder she tried to bathe herself in his scent, inhaling deeply and enjoying the smell of Old Spice deodorant and _Very Sexy For Him _cologne.

"I love you, Tommy," she whispered, lifting her head and kissing him gently on the lips. "I love you so much. But why did you show me this place?"

"To show you that you had a choice. That suit doesn't have to sit on a mannequin when the time comes to fight," Tommy answered with a sly grin to combat the shocked look coming over Kim's face. "I took a poll with the other Red Rangers after you went to bed last night. Not only are they okay with you fighting, they want you to. Something about being the greatest Pink Ranger of all time."

"Well, it's not quite the greatest Ranger of all time but I'll take it," Kim smiled, playfully teasing him with a shoulder nudge. "But how can I fight? My only power source is my Ninjetti spirit and that weakened when I transferred Power Coins with Katherine."

"With this," Tommy replied, pulling a gold coin from his pocket and holding it out for Kim to see. "When Zordon died it re-energized all our Power Coins. I have all of them except for Adam's and Jason's just in case they were ever needed again. If you take this you're committed to the fight no matter how long it lasts. I want you to think long and hard about everything you've got going on in your life right now with your record deal and all that. If you choose to fight being a Ranger has to take priority."

Kim stared at the coin hesitantly, debating whether or not she should take it from him. The idea of being a Ranger again seemed enticing to her but taking the coin meant the possibility of potentially losing her record deal. In the end though, it was a choice that didn't require much thought at all.

"Do I have a Morpher?" Kim asked, Tommy grinning as he walked over to his desk and unlocked a drawer.

He pulled it open and dug around for a few seconds until he found what he was looking for, inserting the coin into the Morpher as he tossed it to Kim who caught it and smiled. "Sweet."

"So is that your decision? You really are willing to put aside your music to do this if you have to?" Tommy asked, Kim nodding as he smiled with pride. "Welcome back, Pink Ranger. It's good to have you back. Now, let's take care of those Ninjetti powers you lost."

The look on Kim's face was priceless. Clearly, she had no idea what Tommy was talking about or how strong the Power ran within him. Sensing this, he took her hands and extended her arms into the air for her, pressing their palms together. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Tommy looked deep within himself.

"To paraphrase the words of an old friend; I will guide you in your quest for knowledge and power, Kimberly. Look deep within yourself. Older than time itself, man has always known the calling," he began as Kim followed his actions and looked deep within herself. "Light of the light, strength of the soul, ignite this eternal power inside of me. I am Ninja!"

Kim watched in awe as a burst of white energy erupted from Tommy's palms, changing into pink energy when it met her hands. She looked down at herself in the familiar pink Ninjetti robes and smiled brightly at them, Tommy staring at her in admiration. Something about the way Kim looked in the outfit, her hair flowing freely under her headband, had always seemed to strike a special chord with him.

"You look amazing," he muttered, Kim beaming at the compliment "I forgot how great you looked in those robes. So beautiful."

He had been so caught up in staring at Kim and complimenting her that he had failed to notice the appearance of his own white Ninjetti robes. Seeing the familiar garb wasn't very surprising to him, though. He had accessed his Ninjetti powers on numerous occasions after leaving the team to see if they still worked just in case he ever needed to use them. It was the only power he still had access to besides those that came from the Zeo Crystal.

"You don't look so bad yourself, handsome," Kim replied, standing on her toes to kiss Tommy "So this is it, huh? I'm really back?"

"Yep. I couldn't be happier, either," Tommy answered with a grin "I've been waiting for this day since you gave your coin to Katherine. It's so great to have you back, Beautiful."

Kim smiled and looked over at the Green Ranger clock hanging on the wall. She had found it in an Angel Grove thrift store and given it to Tommy as a gag gift for his sixteenth birthday. He had loved the clock when they were younger and its' place on the wall twelve years later gave Kim a warm feeling inside.

It was almost noon however and that meant that Conner, Kira and Ethan would be arriving shortly for the ride back to Los Angeles. Tommy noticed the time and signaled to Kim, the pair powering down as they made their way out of the room just as the sound of a knock at the front door reached their ears.

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"Hey, Miss Ford," Kim said softly into the microphone, smiling at Kira. "You know, there's a lot of things people just don't understand."

"What do you mean, Miss Hart?" Kira asked in reply. "Oh, I know what you're talking about. You're talking about a little thing called love, aren't you?"

"You know it girl," Kim answered. "You wanna sing about it? I think I wanna sing about it."

"Let's do it," Kira replied, both girls beginning to strum on their guitars.

Tommy and Conner sat on stools at the back of the recording studio admiring their significant others while Ethan sat at the computer, making sure that the sound was coming through clearly. Sitting back, the two men in love listened with pride to the song the women were singing.

_Oh what a ride  
What a perfect sky to frame  
Your deep brown eyes  
I'd scream on the inside  
But right now it feels like I've  
Been tranquilized  
Oh, what a fool am I  
To be tongue-tied  
Sitting next to him  
The princess and her passenger_

_You touch the rain and suddenly  
There's waterfalls  
Now every day is something more  
Worth fighting for_

_Baby, you make the sun shine down  
You make the sun shine down  
You can paint the darkest clouds  
And turn them into rainbows  
You take your secret smile  
The one that turns me on  
Hey boy, you've been what I've waited for_

_Feet back on the pavement to the  
Basement  
On the bright side of the road  
Fumbling my lines to a lazy cat  
On the step outside his door  
He opens up  
And I'm in the Polaroid  
Standing next to him  
The princess and her passenger_

_Touching the rain and suddenly  
There's waterfalls  
Now every day is something more  
Worth living for_

_Baby, you make the sun shine down  
You make the sun shine down  
You can paint the darkest clouds  
And turn them into rainbows  
You take your secret smile  
The one that turns me on  
Hey boy, you've been what I've waited for_

_On a day like this when the world  
Is elevated  
On a day like this when I know just  
Why I waited  
On a day like this when the world  
Is elevated  
On a day like this when I know just  
Why I waited_

_Baby, you make the sun shine down  
You make the sun shine down  
You can paint the darkest clouds  
And turn them into rainbows  
You take your secret smile  
The one that turns me on  
Hey boy, you've been what I've waited…_

_You make the sun shine down  
You can paint the darkest clouds  
And turn them into rainbows  
You take your secret smile  
The one that turns me on_

_Hey boy, you've been what I've waited for_

On Ethan's signal that the recording had stopped, Tommy and Conner erupted into loud applause accompanied by Conner's ridiculously high pitched whistling. Kim and Kira each blushed slightly before setting their guitars down and walking over to where the two men were standing.

"So what'd you think guys? Was it good?" Kira asked excitedly. "Did I sound okay? Come on, let me have it already. Why aren't you guys saying anything? You thought it was terrible, huh?"

"Uh, Kira," Ethan called out from the desk. "They probably aren't talking because you won't shut up. Kinda hard to talk when someone else is going a mile a minute, ya know."

Kira turned her head and tossed Ethan an angry look to which he replied with a bright smile and a quiet chuckle which everyone else joined in on, Kira looking semi-embarrassed at her actions. Tommy and Conner didn't even have to verbalize how they felt about the song, the looks on their faces said all that needed to be said.

"You were amazing," Conner smiled, gently stroking Kira's hair and planting a soft kiss on her lips. "Kim's record label would be stupid if they didn't use that song."

Tommy nodded in agreement, slipping his arm around Kim's waist as he kissed her on the forehead. Getting up from his chair, Ethan walked over to where the foursome was standing near the door with a huge smile on his face.

"I'm totally bugging right now. That was almost better than five straight hours of playing SNSW," he said in his own complementary way. "You guys are totally awesome together."

"Thanks," Kim beamed, giving Ethan a half hug. "How about we get this song all cleaned up, send it off to the label and Tommy and I will take you guys out for lunch. Does that sound okay to you guys?"

The teens all nodded as Kim pulled Ethan over to the computer so they could finish up the song while Tommy took Kira and Conner into the living room. Thirty minutes later they had cleaned up the song as much as possible using the modest equipment Kim had in the small studio. Ethan quickly converted it into an mp3 file for her and she attached it into an email, sending it off to the record label for immediate review and, hopefully, approval.

When Kim and Ethan finally came out of the studio they found Kira and Conner in an intense makeout session on the couch, Tommy nowhere to be found. Ethan cleared his throat loudly causing Kira to immediately blush and pull back.

"Go away. Not interested," Conner called out, trying to kiss Kira again who pushed him back a little "Damn you all to hell Ethan. Couldn't you see we were busy?"

"Sorry dude," Ethan apologized sarcastically "Where's Dr. O?"

"You interrupted us to ask me where Dr. O is?" Conner asked angrily "He's in the freaking bathroom."

Indeed he was. Tommy was in the process of shaving and was bringing the razor across his cheek for the last few strokes when he felt a sudden pain in his forehead. Losing his focus his hand slipped slightly, just enough to take out a nice little chunk of skin from his face.

"Dammit," Tommy cursed quietly, reaching for some toilet paper as the pain came back "Owww! What the hell is going on?"

The pain quickly increased, Tommy grabbing his head with one hand as he fell to his knees on the bathroom floor and gripped the sink with the other hand. It was an intense pain, something he had never felt before, worse than when he lost the Green Ranger powers.

_We're coming for you. You, your friends and your planet are doomed. For five years you have put us all through hell Oliver and now we are stronger than ever, united as one.27 days. Enjoy your time while you still have it. Zordon died in vain. You have been warned._

The last two sentences echoed throughout Tommy's head for a few minutes until the pain suddenly evaporated. Shaking his head, he grabbed the sink with his other hand and slowly lifted himself to his feet, staring at his bloody face in the mirror. There was a knock at the door and Tommy quickly grabbed some toilet paper, running it under the faucet and dabbing it at the wound.

"Yeah," he answered nonchalantly. It was Kim checking to see if he was okay. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied. "Just finishing up shaving. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Quickly changing his mind, Tommy opened the door and pulled Kim inside the bathroom. She looked at him in surprise when he raised a single finger to his lips, signaling her to remain silent.

"We have 27 days before they attack," Tommy whispered, Kim looking more confused than surprised now. "I felt something. It was this intense pain in my head and then I was hearing voices. They said we have 27 days and that Zordon died in vain. You take the kids to lunch. I'm going to call Jason and some of the others. We need a council meeting as soon as possible."

"Tommy are you really going to base this on a voice you think you heard? Don't you think you might be taking this a little too seriously?" Kim asked apprehensively, Tommy shaking his head in disagreement "Fine. I'll take the kids I guess. Do what you have to do."

Tommy nodded and bent down for a quick kiss before Kim turned on her heels and left him alone in the bathroom. She quietly shut the door behind her, leaving it open just enough so that Tommy could hear them when they left the apartment. He listened to Kim make up an excuse for why he wasn't going with them and waited until they had finally left before making his way into the living room.

Pulling out his cell phone, Tommy sat on the couch and dialed Jason's number hoping that he wasn't too busy with work to answer the call. On the fourth ring the line clicked and Jason answered.

"Jason," Tommy began. "Something's going on. We've got trouble."

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_Sorry, I know it was short. I'll try to do better next time lol. Don't forget those lovely reviews. Talk to you all soon._

_WK_


	10. Subliminal Messages

With Kim and the kids temporarily out of the apartment Tommy used the quiet time to get in touch with as many people as possible. Not being in Reefside with all his equipment meant he couldn't contact Bridge, Andros, Leo or Aurico but that still left quite a few former Red Rangers that he still needed to talk to.

Flipping open his cell phone, he decided that the first person he was going to call would be Jason because he knew that call would probably take the longest and he wanted to get that out of the way before trying to brief the others. With the other Red Rangers it would just be a matter of telling them what was going on and organizing a time for another meeting but with Jason he was going to want every single detail and piece of information that Tommy had.

It took nearly an hour to explain everything to Jason and another hour after that to get in touch with everyone else. He had managed to make contact with TJ in Angel Grove, Carter in Mariner Bay, Eric and Wes in Silver Hills, Cole in Turtle Cove and Shane in Blue Bay Harbor. Getting a hold of Nick, the Red Mystic Ranger in Briarwood and Mack, the Red Overdrive Ranger in San Angeles proved to be a little more difficult though. With Mack being an active Ranger he understood not being able to contact him but why he couldn't get in touch with Nick was beyond him.

"I guess sometimes Rangers just don't want to be found," Tommy thought out loud knowing full well how true the statement was.

After losing the Green Ranger powers for the last time there had been a brief period in Tommy's life when he had retreated to his uncle's cabin simply because he didn't want to be found and have to deal with everyone. Why Nick was avoiding him, though, he had no idea. He had tried to get him to Reefside for the other Red Ranger Council meetings but he had never been able to get a hold of him.

At least Mack had answered some of his calls. The first few Council meetings had been held before the Overdrive Rangers got their powers so he obviously hadn't been included but Tommy had called the moment he had found out about the new team. Mack liked the whole concept of the RRC but still being a new Ranger he felt he needed to devote his time to his team. Tommy understood completely and told Mack there would always be a seat at the Council if he chose to come.

Two hours worth of phone calls later and Tommy had eventually organized an RRC meeting for the next weekend in Reefside. Finally able to close his phone, he tossed it on the coffee table as the front door opened. He peered his head around the corner and smiled when he saw Kim walking in but the smile quickly faded when he saw that the kids weren't with her.

He stood up and walked over to greet her, wrapping her into a tight hug and placing a soft kiss on her lips which she immediately returned. His plan to greet her and then question her on the whereabouts of Conner, Ethan and Kira was put on the back burner when Kim slipped her tongue into his mouth. Thirty seconds of that and he had forgotten all about his protégés.

"They're fine. They dropped me off and I let them take my car," Kim smiled after breaking the kiss, knowing exactly what Tommy was thinking. "Don't worry, I let Kira drive. None of them have ever been to L.A. before so I told them they could use my car and go sight seeing as long as they were back here by midnight."

"Man, I wish my mom would have given me rules like that," Tommy chuckled. "I never would have had to come up with excuses for disappearing all the time to fight monsters or sneaking out to see you."

"Are you complaining about sneaking out to see me, Mr. Oliver?" Kim asked with a sarcastic grin. "I seem to recall you quite enjoying our late night makeout sessions at the lake."

Tommy laughed softly and planted a gentle kiss in the center of her forehead to which Kim replied with a little giggle. For some reason she had always loved the forehead kisses. Something about the way Tommy kept his eyes focused on her the whole time just made her feel special which was exactly what the four-colored, ex-Ranger wanted.

"So did you get in touch with everyone you needed to?" Kim asked, Tommy shaking his head.

"Not everyone. I don't have the stuff I need to contact Aurico, Andros, Leo and Bridge here," Tommy explained. "And there's two other guys, Nick and Mack, that I couldn't get in touch with either. Mack's got an excuse 'cause he's an active Ranger but I don't know what Nick's deal is. I've called him at least a half dozen times since we started the council and he's never answered or returned a single one of my calls."

"Maybe there's something going on that you don't know about. Who knows?" Kim asked in reply. "Maybe you should look closer to home if you need help. I know a few feisty ladies in yellow who would be willing to fight. Not that Trini and Aisha called me in furious rages about Jason and Rocky or anything. And Kira _definitely_ didn't say anything about Conner spilling the beans."

Kim smiled sheepishly as Tommy rolled his eyes. Choosing to let Kim fight had been bad enough and he knew it was only a matter of time before one, if not all three of them were yelling at him to be included. He could see the proverbial snowball getting bigger and bigger as it rolled down the hill and it ticked him off a little bit. Not enough to make a big deal out of it but it still bothered him.

The Red Ranger Council was exactly what the name said it was. It wasn't the Red, Pink and Yellow Council, it was the Red Ranger Council hence only the inclusion of _Red Rangers_. Opting to change the subject Tommy reached out and lifted Kim off her feet, holding her in the "bridal" position as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

As Tommy carried her into the bedroom Kim began to get a little nervous about what direction his brain was heading in. She was pleasantly surprised, however, when he set her down gently on the bed, flipped her over and immediately started giving her a massage. Letting out a slight whimper, Kim moaned in pleasure at the feel of Tommy's strong hands on her back and shoulders.

"Oh God, Tommy," she cooed as Tommy tried not to smile. "That feels sooooo good. I forgot just how good you were at this."

He ignored her comment and just kept going, lifting her shirt up so he could get to her lower back. Just the feel of Tommy's hands was enough to drive her nuts. Luckily for her Tommy didn't go any lower than her back or things might have gotten really interesting for the pair.

Kim shivered in ecstasy at the closest thing to an orgasm she had felt that hadn't been brought on by her own doing. Knowing that he was doing his job well, Tommy smiled and moved his hands back up to her shoulders, kissing the center of her back and slowly working his way up to her neck. The scent of Kim's perfume and the taste of her soft flesh only made Tommy enjoy his actions that much more.

His hands were slowly creeping back down when the interrupting sound of a loud crash reached the bedroom. Kim was one on her feet almost immediately as she ran into the living room for the one window her apartment had. Tommy was by her side a few seconds later and they looked down at the street below with bewildered expressions at what they saw.

Flying down passed the window was a flurry of nuts and bolts that seemed to be coming from nowhere in particular, raining down on the street as pedestrians scattered and tried to find cover. He started to poke his head out to see where the pieces of metal were coming from but quickly yanked his head back inside when he nearly caught one with his teeth. They stood in silence, watching what was happening for a few minutes until suddenly it stopped but not before the sidewalk below was completely covered with the tiny pieces of hardware.

"What the hell was that?" Kim asked in shock.

"I have no freaking clue but I don't like it," Tommy muttered in reply. "All I know is that weird things like this don't ever happen completely at random."

Kim nodded in agreement as she wrapped her arms tightly around Tommy's waist. There was something there that Tommy wasn't seeing he just couldn't put his finger on exactly what that something was. Certainly his mindset would have been different if he had realized that the shower of nuts and bolts was just the first of what would be many subliminal clues of what was to come.

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Three days after Tommy's bathroom adventure he sat in the living room of Kim's apartment with Jason, Trini, Rocky, Aisha, Kim, Conner, Kira and Ethan. Aside from Kim the non-Red Rangers had all but ganged up on Tommy when they had heard about the possibility of an attack on Earth. Apparently Kim wasn't the only one who still had the heart and will power to fight if needed.

Trini had snapped at Jason the moment she found out what was going on. He had never been a good liar and it was even harder to lie to someone as intuitive and intelligent as Trini. After only fifteen minutes of interrogation Jason had given in and told her what was happening and, like he had expected, she insisted on being included.

Rocky was a little bit better at covering his tracks but keeping the secret from Aisha had become a lost cause when she came home from work before him the evening after he had seen the moving light in the sky. There were ten messages on their answering machine when she got home: two from Tommy, two from Jason and the rest from people she had never heard of.

Every message seemed urgent and Aisha's intuition quickly raised suspicions. When Rocky had come home from work she cornered him, refusing to back down until he had told her everything. Eventually he confessed and, like Trini, Aisha demanded that she be included, if not in the battle at least in the meetings and briefings prior to it.

As soon as Tommy had called Jason and Rocky to arrange a Red Ranger Council meeting Trini and Aisha decided to make their move. They demanded that they be included and, with Kim on their side and backing them up, Tommy had been forced to give in to them. Besides, he knew better than to argue with a group of female Rangers, especially those three.

For as much as Tommy looked at Conner like a son well, maybe a younger brother, the boy definitely had a problem keeping his mouth shut when it came to keeping secrets especially when there wasn't an adult like Tommy around to keep him in check. Literally five minutes after Adam and Haley had dropped him and Kira off at his house he told her everything which in turn led to her telling Ethan which in turn led to a major blowup about them not being included.

Looking around at the eight people seated throughout Kim's living room Tommy couldn't help but laugh at how much stroke the women in their lives really had. He had been single during the first Red Ranger mission and Jason's relationship with Trini hadn't reached a serious level yet so the secrecy of the mission hadn't been an issue for them. Now however, with the four former Red Rangers in the room all in committed and serious relationships keeping the secret had definitely become more of a problem.

Plain and simple, every single person in the room wanted to fight if Earth needed to be defended. Although his exterior showed clear frustration at the turn of events, inside Tommy was loving every second of it. Knowing that it had been over a decade since Trini and Aisha had left the team he had assumed they wouldn't want any part in being a Ranger again. He had no idea just how wrong he really was in that assumption.

As they sat in uncomfortable silence seven faces stared back at him waiting for their "fearless leader" to make his move. The women, Kim not included because of recent events, and Ethan felt a clear sense of betrayal that they hadn't been included from the start. From Tommy's perspective they just didn't understand that he was trying to do. All he wanted to do was look out for them and he really did have their best interests at heart.

He knew that they all had the ability to defend themselves but putting them in a position to get hurt just didn't sit well with him. It had been different with Aisha, Kim and Trini when they were teenagers because Zordon had selected them to be Rangers and it wasn't that Zordon's choices were somehow better because he had made them either. Tommy just didn't want the responsibility to fall on his shoulders if something bad happened to one of them during a fight and he felt the same way about the Dino Rangers. If anything happened to any of them in a battle, old Rangers included, Tommy would never be able to live with himself.

Looking at the people around him though, he felt comfortable with the Rangers seated in the living room with him. Trini had always been a fierce fighter and Aisha was no slouch either. Kira had started off at a disadvantage being a singer not a fighter but she had come into her own as a Ranger as well. The four women in the room were four women Tommy would probably run from if he was on the wrong end of a fight with them, something his ego wouldn't allow him to admit but something that was recognized and understood by any Ranger that had served with them.

Jason and Rocky were on the same wavelength as he was in regards to Kim, Trini and Aisha. Conner and Tommy also definitely knew better than to instigate Kira. They were all tough women, none of them with the slightest amount of fear when it came to fighting. Hell, Trini could probably snap Jason's neck in a heartbeat if she really wanted to and Kira's Ptera-scream was enough to strike fear into the hearts of every man who had ever donned the spandex. Kim with her emotionally fueled battle sense and Aisha's scrappiness made them both more than formidable opponents as well.

Ethan was the only one Tommy was concerned about and not because the young man couldn't fight either. Tommy just had no way of recharging Ethan's lost powers. The Sentinel Knight had fixed Kira's and it had taken nearly a year of work by Tommy and Haley to replenish the power in Conner's red Dino Gem. Zordon's sacrifice had refueled their Power Coins so Jason, Kim, Trini and Aisha were set as well but it pained him to know that there was no way Ethan could fight when the time came. Looking at the young man Tommy gave him a sad smile, Ethan returning it with a confused expression.

"Something on your mind, Dr. O?" Ethan asked.

Tommy looked deep inside himself for the emotional strength it was going to take to tell him the truth knowing that it would crush the boy's spirit. Conner, Ethan, Kira and Trent for all the hassle and trouble they were in the beginning had become family to him just as all the other Rangers he had served with were. Hurting them or letting any of them down had never been something Tommy enjoyed having to do. Taking a deep breath Tommy forced himself to speak.

"I'm sorry Ethan but there's no way for you to fight. The Sentinel Knight fixed Kira's gem but it took Haley and I almost a year of research and experimenting to get Conner's gem working again," Tommy answered sadly. "Now that we have the technology and knowledge fixing your gem would take a lot less time than Conner's but unfortunately time is something we just don't have right now. I'm sorry."

Ethan looked crushed just like Tommy had expected him to. Something about Ethan had always endeared him to Tommy. Maybe it was how much Ethan reminded him of how he had been as a teenager, an outsider looking in with no real friends until becoming a Ranger.

Coming in as the new kid had been hard on Tommy but he had a certain charm that helped him fit in better with the others, not to mention his passion for martial arts that instantly bonded him with Jason. Ethan however, for as brilliant as he was had been awkward to say the least during his first three years of high school. He didn't have a Trini-type like Billy had had so incorporating himself into the popularity contest that high school was had been more than for him.

It wasn't until getting detention one fateful day and discovering his Dino Gem in Tommy's basement that he began to become "popular." Hanging out with Conner and Kira, two completely different people who were equally as popular amongst the student body had immediately thrust Ethan into the "in" crowd. He'd still get picked on occasionally though and Conner tended to look after Ethan in the same light that the original Rangers had looked out for Billy. If someone stepped over the line and picked on the Blue Dino Ranger Conner was the first one to step in and put the culprit in their place so it came as no surprise to Conner when an idea popped into his head to help Ethan out.

"Wait. There might be a solution," Conner spoke up, eight heads turning at once to face him in surprise. "I mean, not to make Ethan a Ranger again but a way to keep him involved. Dr. O, remember when you told us about that Zeo Crystal thingy and how Billy couldn't be a Ranger anymore?" Tommy nodded his head with a clear idea of where Conner was heading. "Well what if Ethan did the same thing? He could be like, our technical advisor or something, just like Haley was."

The teenager who had once been so thick and naïve was seemingly full of surprises. The look on Tommy's face was equally surprised and appreciative at the same time because Conner had actually come up with a brilliant idea. Even if Ethan couldn't fight there was no reason he couldn't help from behind the scenes. Now it was only a matter of Ethan agreeing to it.

"You're just full of surprises aren't you babe?" Kira asked with a smile placing a soft kiss on her boyfriend's cheek that caused him to blush. "You never cease to amaze me you know that?"

Conner tried to laugh it off but his red cheeks had everyone including Ethan laughing hysterically. It took a few minutes but eventually the laughter died down and Tommy turned to Ethan once more with a solemn expression on his face.

"I know it's not the same Ethan but we could sure use all the help we can get. Obviously I can't make you do anything but I can ask you to help," Tommy muttered as Ethan nodded in understanding. "So what do you say? Can we count on you to run point for us if we have to fight?"

Ethan pretended to ponder the idea for a few moments doing his best to keep them waiting for him to make a decision. A smile crept across the young man's face as he slowly nodded his head and the others smiled back at him appreciatively.

"You can count on me, Dr. O," he replied, Tommy smiling back at him with pride. "I'd love to be out there with you guys but I understand that I can't. It actually means a lot to me that you'd even allow me to help like that so thanks."

"No, Ethan, thank you. Dr. O is right. We're gonna need a good set of brains to help us and I'm glad it's someone I know we can trust," Conner interjected, catching them by surprise once more. "What? It's not like I'm a complete idiot you know. I do have the ability to think and say smart things from time to time if I want to."

"Could've fooled me," Ethan shot back with a laugh, playfully pushing Conner's shoulder. "Just playing man. So what's the deal then? Are there other Rangers you need me to get in touch with?"

"Yeah. A lot of them. Unfortunately, all of the information you need is back at my place in Reefside," Tommy answered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a set of keys. "I'll let you take my car. You break it, you buy it."

Ethan stared at him in surprise as Tommy tossed him the keys to his brand new Escalade but his look was nowhere near the one that Kim was wearing. If Tommy owned a car no one was allowed to drive it except him and it had been that way since high school.

"Don't worry, Beautiful. I'll get TJ to let you drive Red Lightning," Tommy whispered to her before turning to Ethan. "You need to get going. Come on and I'll walk you out. The rest of you don't move."

Tommy and Ethan got up from their respective places in the living room as they made their was out of the apartment and headed for the elevators. They stood there in silence for a few minutes until the bell finally rang and the doors opened up for them to step inside.

"I'm sorry, Ethan," Tommy muttered as the doors closed. "But this was the best I could do. I wish there was something else I could do for you man."

"Don't apologize, Dr. O. I know you did your best," Ethan replied with a comforting smile. "Besides, being behind a computer is definitely easier than having to fight monsters. Except for the simple fact that I don't know the first thing about computers."

Tommy couldn't help but laugh at his protégé's sarcastic reply. Ethan was a definite mix of Tommy, Billy and Zack. He had Tommy's initial loner personality that was mixed in with Billy's intelligence and Zack's quick wit. Patting Ethan on the shoulder Tommy got a serious look on his face.

"You're going to come in contact with a lot of Rangers and some of them are dating other Rangers. As much as I don't like it, I think we're going to need all the help we can get," Tommy told him as Ethan nodded in understanding. "I want you to tell each of them that they can bring one other Ranger with them but no more than that. I don't want every Ranger that's ever morphed out there. We need help but too many people fighting at once is not a good thing. No Ranger will ever admit it but we all have egos, the Reds more than the others. It's bad enough when it's just us but I'm sure you understand that too many Rangers will be more detrimental than helpful."

"Are you done?" Ethan asked with a grin, Tommy nodding with a chuckle. "Don't worry about it, Dr. O. I've got it under control. You want all the Rangers from every team that's ever existed. No problem. You'll have a hundred Rangers ready for you."

"Very funny, Ethan," Tommy retorted with a small smile "Oh, there are two Red Rangers that I haven't been able to get a hold of: Nick Russell, the Red Mystic Ranger and Mack Hartford, the Red Overdrive Ranger. Try to get in touch with them if you can."

Ethan nodded as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the parking garage. Tommy's Escalade came into sight and Ethan eagerly hit the button to disarm the alarm as he sprinted towards the SUV. After reminding him to be careful a half dozen times and telling him to call as soon as he got back to Reefside, Ethan was gone.

Walking back towards the elevator Tommy immediately spun around at the sound of something exploding behind him. Where his Escalade had been parked moments earlier a cloud of black smoke stood in its' place and he cautiously walked over to inspect it. The smoke blocked him from seeing everything until he got close enough to look at the charred pavement where the letter "Z" was burnt into the ground.

"No fucking way," Tommy muttered as he moved in even closer.

Mumbling a few choice curse words Tommy had to prevent himself from putting a hole, or at least attempting to put a hole, in the nearby concrete wall. Opting for the quicker trip that the stairs offered Tommy took off in a dead sprint to tell the others what he had seen.

Racing up the stairs taking them two and three at a time he kept his speedy pace until he finally reached Kim's floor. Throwing open her door he stood there panting as the others looked at him with concerned expressions.

"Tommy what's going on bro?" Jason asked from the couch. "Is everything okay? Did something happen with Ethan?"

"Zedd…back…I think…come see," Tommy managed as seven surprised Rangers stared at him "Parking garage…let's go."

They all got up in silence as Tommy sprinted off again and they were forced to run to catch up to him. He could hear their approaching footsteps on the stairs but he wasn't slowing down until he reached the parking garage. Aggressively pushing the door open Tommy ran to where his car had been parked and looked at the "Z."

Kim was the first one to reach his side and she got a horrified look on her face as she stared at the letter that was burnt into the ground. Raising her hands to cover her mouth she felt the onset of tears forming in her eyes. In one quick motion Tommy put his arm around her and pulled her into a hug, nearly smashing the petite woman against his chest.

A few seconds later the others came to their side and took their turns to look at the letter that reminded them of so many terrible things: the loss of their Dinozords, Tommy losing his Green Ranger powers, Kim's accident on the balance beam amongst others. They were all horrible events in their lives and Zedd had played a part in every one of them.

"What's the big deal?" Conner asked in honest confusion, Kira's expression asking the same question. "Who's Zedd and why is he any different than Mesogog?"

Tommy, still holding on to Kim opened his mouth to answer but she pushed back a little and put a finger to his lips. He fell silent and Kim turned to face Conner.

"From what Tommy's told me Mesogog was just a normal guy who got messed up in a science experiment and you guys fixed him. There's no fixing Zedd," Kim answered solemnly. "At first he just wanted to take over Earth like all the other lunatics but, mostly because of Tommy and I, he developed a grudge. It got to the point where he didn't even care about Earth as long as he made our lives a complete living hell."

Jason, Trini, Rocky and Aisha all nodded their heads in silent agreement with Kim's assessment of their long time nemesis. Still, Conner and Kira weren't fully grasping what Kim was trying to tell them and Rocky noticed it.

"Zedd nearly killed Kim. There I said it," Rocky interjected, everyone wincing at his statement. "He kidnapped her and she would have died if Tommy hadn't saved her."

Conner managed a simple "oh" as all four male Rangers subconsciously reached out and pulled their girlfriends in closer, Kim holding on to Tommy just a little bit tighter. He knew how she felt about Zedd. Rita she could deal with but Zedd had a sadistic streak in him that was unrivaled by Rita, King Mondo and even Master Vile.

Still, something about the Z just didn't sit right with Tommy. Thinking back on the voices he heard in the bathroom a few days earlier the message he had been given popped into his head.

_For five years you have put _us _all__through hell Oliver and now _we_are stronger than ever, _united_ as_ _one. _

He quickly realized that there was probably more to it than just Zedd but he chose to remain silent, instead opting to give Jason a look that said he had something on his mind. Even though the pair of best friends didn't see each other nearly as much as they had in the past they still operated on a similar wavelength. The look Jason gave to Tommy in return said he was having the same thoughts as his friend.

Lowering his arm so that it was around Kim's waist Tommy motioned for the others to follow him as he slowly pulled her back towards the elevator. Kim took one last look at the burnt asphalt and then turned her head, silently allowing Tommy to lead her away with Conner and Kira behind them. Rocky, Jason, Trini and Aisha, however, didn't move.

"It's getting late and I have work tomorrow, man," Jason muttered. "I'm gonna go ahead and take everyone back home. We'll talk soon."

Tommy nodded and shook hands with Jason and Rocky before giving Trini and Aisha hugs. Kim, Conner and Kira all said their goodbyes as well and watched as the foursome got into Jason's Chevy Tahoe and drove off.

As they walked back into Kim's apartment Tommy suddenly felt the urge to do something spontaneous and impulsive. He left them as soon as they got into the living room and made a beeline for the bedroom that he was sharing with Kim. There was a little black box sitting on Kim's dresser and Tommy dug through it for a few minutes until he found what he was looking for and went into the bathroom.

"If it's a fight he wants," Tommy muttered as he looked in the mirror and pushed a small gold hoop through the hole in his ear that hadn't been occupied in years "it's a fight he'll get."

And then it hit him. Why he hadn't seen it before he didn't know but it suddenly made sense to him. He flashed back to the flurried rain of hardware a few days earlier. The Z that had been burnt into the asphalt of the parking garage had been a little more obvious than the nuts and bolts but the Machine Empire was the only thing he could think of that actually made sense.

Lord Zedd had never been a fan of King Mondo and his Machine Empire considering the lack of a warm greeting Mondo had given him in taking over his Moon base but the mere thought of Zedd and his minions in alliance with Mondo and his lackeys sent shivers down the spine of the man who feared very little. His fears were only amplified when he considered the massive amount of destruction that had already been caused throughout the universe. If the Destroyers were indeed Lord Zedd and the Machine Empire the help Tommy had told Ethan to request from the other Red Rangers might not have been enough.

"Kim! Come in here!" Tommy yelled from the bedroom.

He could hear her grumble something to the teens and smiled, waiting as he heard her footsteps get closer. The look on her face when she saw her earring in his ear was priceless but that wasn't why he had called her and she knew that.

"What's up?" she asked, grinning at the small piece of jewelry.

"Do you have a computer that I can use?" he asked in reply as Kim nodded. "Good. I need to get an email to Ethan before he starts calling people. Hopefully he checks it beforehand."

"Why do you need to email Ethan?" Kim questioned. "Is there something going on? Is everything okay?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Remember when it started raining nuts and bolts the other day?" he asked, Kim nodding again. "Well after what happened today I think it might be a sign. I have a feeling that it's not just Zedd but the Machine Empire as well. Possibly more. I need to get Ethan a list of Rangers to put on standby just in case we need extra help."

Kim had never had to deal with the Machine Empire but she had heard the stories from Jason after his brief return as the Gold Ranger. The clues in front of them were hard to ignore but she was seriously hoping that they had misinterpreted everything they had seen. Tommy sensed the anxiety she was feeling and put a comforting arm around her shoulder, giving her a tight one armed hug. She slipped her arm around his waist and quietly led him out of the bedroom towards the den where her computer was.

Tommy sat down at the desk in a black leather chair and then patted his knee, offering it as a place for Kim to sit. She accepted the offer and watched as he opened up a web browser, logged in to his email account and started drafting his email to Ethan.

_Ethan._

_Things are starting to heat up. Just after you left some crazy stuff happened. I'll explain more the next time we talk but for now I changed my mind about telling everyone they could bring one extra person. Instead of that I'm attaching a list of names of people that I know still have active powers and that I know will be able to help us. I only want the strongest ones for this. There should be contact info for all of them on my computer in the basement. Talk to you soon._

_People to call: Adam Park, Zack Taylor, Lucas Kendall, Trip, Jen Scotts, Tori Hanson, Blake and Hunter Bradley, Elizabeth Delgado and Xander Bly. Keep trying to get a hold of Nick and Mack. If you get in touch with Mack tell him to bring Will and when you talk to Xander see if he knows what's up with Nick. I'll be in touch._

_Tommy_

"That oughta take care of it," Tommy muttered, clicking the send button and turning his head to Kim "You hungry? I've been craving Peking pork from that place down the street for the last two days."

"Sure," Kim smiled, resting her head on Tommy's shoulder. "Just us or do you want to take the kids with us too?"

Tommy was about to say that he just wanted to go with her when he felt Kim's phone vibrate against his thigh. She looked at the Caller ID and got a huge smile on her face.

"It's Rick from the record label. Be quiet," she whispered as Tommy nodded and she put the phone to her ear. "Hey Rick, what's up?"

The conversation was pretty one sided with Kim only getting in a few words. It lasted all of ninety seconds and by the time Kim had hung up her phone the bright smile she had been wearing a few minutes earlier had turned into a sad frown.

"What's wrong, Beautiful?" Tommy asked in concern. "Did they not like the song?"

"Nope," she muttered softly, the disappointment setting in for Tommy. "They loved it!" she exclaimed as the smile returned and she threw her arms around Tommy's neck. "They want to fly Kira to New York next week to meet with the record label and sign all the paperwork. We have to take her and Conner with us to celebrate, Tommy."

"I agree," Tommy replied, kissing her softly on the cheek. "Come on. Let's go tell them. Kira's going to be so excited."

He gave Kim a gentle push to lift her off his knee and then stood up, pulling her into a tight bear hug. A soft knock came at the door a few seconds later and Kim yelled for them to come in. Tommy kept his back to the door knowing that it was either Kira, Conner or both of them and he didn't want his smile to give anything away.

"Hey guys," Kira said softly. "Conner and I were gonna go get some dinner and we wanted to know if you wanted to join us."

"We were just going to ask you the same thing," Kim replied, spinning Tommy around to face them. "We wanted to take you out to celebrate."

"What are we celebrating, how awesome I am?" Conner interrupted. "That's definitely a good reason to celebrate."

"Shut up, Conner!" all three yelled in unison as the young man grinned from ear to ear.

Tommy, now holding Kim's hand looked down at her for approval to tell Kira what was going on. She smiled up at him and nodded as he turned back to face them.

"We're actually taking Kira out to celebrate," Tommy answered, Kira looking rather confused. "You're going to New York next week to sign the paperwork and meet with the people from the record label."

Kira's mouth fell wide open in shock and she quickly put her hands to her face to cover it. Without warning she took off in a sprint towards Tommy and nearly tackled him to the ground when she threw her arms around him. Kim couldn't help but laugh at Tommy who had to lean against the desk to stop himself from falling to the floor.

It was Tommy's turn to laugh, however, when Kira jumped from Tommy to Kim and _did_ take her down to the floor. She was so excited that it actually took both Conner and Tommy to pry Kira away from Kim.

"Oh man, I love you guys so much!" Kira exclaimed as Kim got to her feet. She hugged them again at the same time but with much less force which allowed Tommy and Kim to return the gesture this time. "You guys are seriously the best. I can't believe I'm actually going to be on a real album. And I get to go to New York. This is so awesome. What's with the earring, Dr. O?"

Tommy and Kim chuckled at the way Kira had randomly gone from excitement about the song to curiosity about Tommy's choice of jewelry.

"I don't know. I thought it was time for a change. I'm surprised the hole didn't close up on me," Tommy answered. "So where do you want to go to celebrate. It's your choice and I'm paying."

"Can we go to Frank & Musso's?" Kira asked. "We passed by there the other day and we were gonna stop for dinner but it was so crowded. Some lady said all the celebrities eat there."

"It's Musso & Frank's but yeah, we can go there. Kim's got VIP access but I don't have a car so she's driving. Let's move out troops." Tommy chuckled as Kira turned to walk away and he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Kira. You're going to do great things."

Kira cheeks turned bright red as she blushed at the compliment from Tommy. He didn't dish them out often so when one came the person on the receiving end usually took it to heart. Giving Kira a proud smile he pointed to the door, the four of them leaving to celebrate some of the last good news they'd hear for a long time.

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_I'm a little disappointed that no one caught the little joke I made about _The Things You Don't Know_ in the last chapter. I figured someone would have caught it and said something about it lol. Either way, hope you liked this one. Things are gonna start picking up here pretty quick. Talk to you soon._

_WK _


	11. Big Surprises

Kira had been floating on Cloud Nine since finding out that she was going to be on an album with Kim and Conner wanted to do something special for her to show her just how proud he was. He had enlisted Tommy's help and the pair were walking through the Beverly Center, Los Angeles's largest and most well known shopping mall. The eight-story monolith of a building sat right on the edge of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood and had been home to scenes in famous films like _Volcano_ and _Chopping Mall_.

Conner had so many ideas running through his head as they walked through the well populated mall but none of them seemed special enough for his first and only love. Oh sure, he had dated plenty of girls in high school and before that but none of them did to him what Kira did. She brought out a level of maturity and intelligence in him that he hadn't even known existed before becoming a Ranger. He was no longer just the goofy jock that was the butt of everyone's jokes and he owed a lot of that to her. Unfortunately for him however, he was never very good at expressing his feelings but that was what he had Tommy for.

The pair that once been strictly teacher and student had developed a friendship akin to the one Tommy shared with Jason. Unlike some of the other Rangers, Tommy didn't feel the need to constantly harp on Conner or tell him what to do. Unlocking the power of the Triassic Ranger had long ago proved to Tommy that Conner was fully capable of looking after himself.

Sometimes with the other Rangers, and not just the ones he had served with either, Tommy felt like he had to be the mature babysitter type simply because he was the most tenured and experienced one out of them all. With Conner though they were friends first. He'd get on him from time to time if he thought he was stepping out of line or doing something stupid but it was strictly in the interest of looking out for a friend. Nothing more and nothing less which was why Conner had enlisted him for help. Where the others, even Jason, didn't always listen to what Tommy had to say Conner valued his opinions and input, taking his advice to heart when it was offered to him.

They had spent nearly two hours in the giant shopping mall and hadn't had a lick of luck in the gift department. Sitting in the food court over pizza slices and sodas from _Sbarro_'s _Pizzeria, _Tommy could tell that Conner was lacking his usual confidence. The young man who had been such an immature boy, cocky and oblivious to the world around him when they had met two years earlier had changed dramatically in that time. The cockiness that had once dominated Conner's personality had been replaced by confidence and yes, there is a difference. He no longer shut people out when they talked to him or offered advice even if he thought he was right, a sign of maturity that most people didn't reach until a much older age.

He had a look of disappointment in his eyes and one thing Tommy hated to see with any of his Ranger teammates was disappointment, especially when he was trying to help them. If they were disappointed in something they had done wrong that was one thing but trying to help and failing made Tommy feel just as crappy.

"Come on, Conner. I'm sure we'll think of something," Tommy said encouragingly, getting nothing but a sad shoulder shrug in reply.

Taking a drink from his cup, Tommy set it back down on the table and examined the writing on it. _New York's Finest_ it said underneath the restaurant's logo. New York. Suddenly, Tommy had an idea. He looked at Conner with a bright grin and the young man rolled his eyes at his mentor's new found perkiness.

"How serious are you about Kira?" Tommy asked. "Do you love her?"

"More than anything in the world. She means everything to me," Conner muttered softly. "I'd do anything I could to make her happy. Why? What does that have to do with anything?"

"You guys have been together for close to two years, right?" Tommy asked in reply as Conner nodded. Standing up from the table Tommy turned to walk away but Conner hadn't moved. "Come on. I've got an idea but we need to have a serious talk and the food court isn't the place for it."

Conner nodded his head and went into robot mode, not really paying attention as he followed Tommy out of the food court. The first place Tommy found that was quiet enough for them to talk ended up being the inside of his car in the mall's parking garage.

"One thing I've learned about women is that they like to know your committed to them. Even though Kim and I have only been together for a little over a week she knows that I'd move heaven and earth for her if I could," Tommy said confidently. "You have to show Kira just how much you really love her and how committed you are to her. Let me ask you a question. Can you see yourself getting married to Kira?"

The young man's mouth fell open in surprise at Tommy's question. Two years was a long time for a couple to be together, especially one with partners as young as Conner and Kira were. The topic had come up a few times in the past but he had never really given serious consideration to it. College was important to both of them and they both had their own dreams and aspirations but in his heart Conner knew that he wanted to achieve those goals with Kira by his side.

"I…I don't know. I mean, we already do all the things that married couples do," Conner muttered, Tommy wincing slightly at the subliminal message trapped in Conner's statement. "I love Kira with all my heart and I'd do anything for her but I don't know if I want to marry her yet. We're still young and in college. Besides, even if I wanted to I don't know if she feels the same way."

Tommy nodded at Conner and gave him a small smile accompanied with a friendly pat on the shoulder. At least he was using his head. But for Tommy's idea to work Conner had to be seriously committed to Kira. Tommy could plant the seed but that was all he could do. The rest had to come from Conner and Tommy knew his young friend needed to do a little soul searching.

"You think about what you want to do but we're leaving for New York in a week. I've got my idea but it won't work last minute," Tommy told him as he started the car. "We leave Friday and I need to know by Tuesday so that gives you three days to make up your mind. After that, I can't help you."

Conner nodded and turned his head, looking out the window as the mall began to fade out of sight. Would Kira even want to marry him? With his place on the university soccer team and Kira's apparently bright future as a singer, would they even have time for each other on the road of dream chasing? He loved Kira and she loved him but that was where it stopped. He didn't know how serious her feelings really were for him, all he knew was that he didn't want to give her the chance to get away.

Halfway back to Kim's apartment Conner made his decision and told Tommy to turn the car back around. Driving back to the mall, Tommy pulled out his cell phone with a smile and dialed the number of an old friend. He waited patiently while the phone rang, not surprised when it clicked over to voicemail considering it was noon. Actually it was closer to three considering he was calling New York and he was pretty sure she was at work. Tommy couldn't help but smile as the sweet Australian voice of his ex-girlfriend came on.

_Hey, you've reached the Cranston residence. Sorry we aren't here right now but leave a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Bye!"_

"Hey guys, it's Tommy. I'm going to be in town next weekend and I need a favor," he said. "I was wondering if you guys could get four tickets to the Yankees game next weekend and I'll pay you back when we get there. Give me a call back and let me know. Bye."

Conner gave Tommy a confused look as they pulled back into the parking garage at the mall. Walking back towards the west entrance, Tommy put an arm around Conner's shoulder and started explaining his plan to him.

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_Three days later…_

Somewhere in the depths of space, at the tail end of the Andromeda Galaxy, a huge vessel carrying close to two thousand passengers was preparing to enter the Milky Way. In the heart of the ship, a makeshift briefing room had been established where, at a large round table, six of the ship's occupants sat with the remaining passengers standing around the perimeter of the room.

Those who were seated were all wearing black cloaks, hoods pulled up to conceal their faces. It was an unnecessary gesture considering they all knew each other but it added to the allure of evil that they were going for.

From the center of the table a holographic projection of Earth was being viewed. One figure, apparently the leader of the group, reached out and pressed a red button that changed the image from the planetary view to a more personal look on a few select people. The hooded shape that had pressed the button let out a loud and angry groan as the image changed once more. They were watching Tommy, Kim, Kira and Conner walking through downtown Los Angeles, laughing and joking like nothing was wrong. That would soon change, however.

A more bulky figure seconded his companion's angry groan with a heavy grunt. No words needed to be spoken to know that those at the table felt nothing but pure hatred for the people they were watching.

"They think this is a game. They don't understand the power we have now and it's all thanks to the sacrifice of my son," the first one spoke up, the other nine mumbling their agreements. "I think it's time we give our little rainbow friends a taste of what we are capable of. What do you think, Mondo?"

Just saying the name Mondo made the cloaked figure want to throw up. He despised the fat robot with a passion but dealing with him was a sacrifice he deemed necessary to executing his plan. The feeling of hatred was a mutual one though and Mondo stared back at the figure across from him with cold eyes. Well, as cold as a machine's eyes could be.

"Do what you want Zedd, but I will not lose my soldiers before we reach Earth," Mondo replied, gesturing to the group of Cogs along the walls. "If you want to send your Putties or Tengas down then be my guest but don't be surprised when they destroy your pathetic excuse for soldiers."

"You dare insult Lord Zedd," the body to Zedd's right snarled, standing up angrily as another figure joined him. Leaning across the table he pointed his sword at the Machine King and hissed. "You are not half the leader that he is."

"You're lucky that Lord Zedd even decided to reconstruct you," his female companion seconded. "If it wasn't for him you'd still be a bucket of bolts on the Moon somewhere gathering rust."

"Goldar, Scorpina, silence. It is not even worth it," Zedd said calmly, pushing his generals back into their seats as he looked back at Mondo. "Fool! Even Rita's Putties could destroy your Cogs!" Zedd fumed angrily. "But when you're right, you're right. Sending Putties down now would be a waste. Perhaps a few Tyrannodrones would do the trick."

Turning towards the hundred or so Tyrannodrones that Mesogog had left behind, Zedd removed his hood and pointed a metal-tipped finger at them. He was definitely not the Zedd of old. After Thrax had freed himself from the container the Sentinel Knight had locked him away in he began attempting to resurrect his parents and other evil forces who had failed to defeat the Rangers but he didn't have enough time to perfect everything.

His real parents were long gone, having turned to good with Rita becoming the Mystic Mother but he could still recreate them using his own evil energy. He had been experimenting for months before attacking the Overdrive Rangers but the lack of time spent on them had left flaws. Where Zedd had once worn a silver mask there was nothing but the skin that looked like the way a human would look if their skin was stripped away. His eyes were now black, hollow and he no longer had he silver armor that had covered part of his body in the past. In fact, the only similarities this Zedd shared with the old Zedd was his hatred for the Rangers, his metal pointed fingertips, his skin and the staff he carried.

Somehow the group of evil villains had managed to co-exist long enough to annex dozens upon dozens of planets. Earth was to be their last great conquest before dividing up their acquisitions and ruling those planets in an agreed peace. They all knew that fighting amongst each other like they had done in years passed was not going to work so they had come together in an uncomfortable agreement, deciding to take over as many planets as possible, build their forces and attack Earth.

With a snap of his fingers, Lord Zedd let out an evil laugh as a few dozen of the leftover Tyrannodrones turned and left the room in unison. Clicking those same fingers against the stone table, Zedd raised his staff and pointed it in a circle at those seated around him.

"I hope none of you have forgotten our little agreement. Mondo has the Andromeda Galaxy, Gruumm has the Quasiterian Galaxy and Lothor has the Gamma System but Earth is mine," Zedd said sternly. "Goldar, you and Scorpina will lead my army against our Rangers. Mondo, Gruumm and Lothor will use their soldiers against whatever extra forces the Rangers have enlisted. Now, let us prepare for our invasion. Earth is only a few days away."

Their plan, in essence, was one that had been in effect since they had started their conquest with the Quasiterian Galaxy by taking over Edenoi, Inquiris and Kalderon. But all their work in annexing and destroying so many planets had been nothing but a stepping stone for their grand finale, the day when they would attack Earth.

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_Same day, Briarwood…_

Xander Bly had just finished closing down the Rock Porium for the evening and was walking towards his car when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Without hesitation, he grabbed the person's wrist and spun around into a fighting stance. An embarrassed look crept across his face when he saw that it was just Tori Hanson.

After coming back to help the Overdrive Rangers Xander had used his charm and good looks to finagle a date with the Blue Ranger. They had been casually dating off and on for a few months since then.

"Sorry, love," the Australian import said with a smile in his thick accent. "Can't be too careful these days especially after talking to Ethan. Can you believe they think we're going to be attacked?"

"I know. It's pretty crazy," Tori smiled, wrapping an arm around Xander's waist. "I still can't believe Tommy wants us to help. He's the greatest Ranger ever and he actually asked _us._"

"Makes you feel useful, huh?" Xander asked in reply. He was just about to go for a kiss when the sky opened up and a horde of Tyrannodrones descended on them. "Well, this should be interesting. Guess it's that time."

"No, don't do it again," Tori pleaded as Xander winked at her and started walking towards the drones. "I hate Plan Xander."

"G'day. I don't think I've seen you around these parts," Xander offered his hand to one of the drones as they stared at it in confusion. "Name's Xander. Look, you lot look like reasonable peop…err, creatures. If there's a problem I'm sure we can just talk it out, right?"

Tori rolled her eyes as Xander caught a kick to the chest that sent him flying back towards her. He skidded across the grass, stopping at her feet as she grabbed his shirt collar and yanked him up to his feet. Brushing his shirt off, Xander thanked Tori and started walking back towards the Tyrannodrones.

"That wasn't very nice but I'll let it slide. What do you say we start over?" he asked politely, extending his hand towards them once more. "The name's Xander. Let's just talk about th…"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth then he was skidding back across the grass towards Tori once more. This time she didn't even try to help him up. Using her ninja power, she began to harness her ability to control water, forming it into a spherical shape in between her hands.

"You guys look a little dirty. Maybe a shower would help," Tori said sarcastically, blasting the drones and sending them onto their backs before looking down at Xander. "I told you Plan Xander never works. Why don't you listen to me?"

"Sorry, babe. I'm a little rooted into my beliefs," Xander joked as he got onto his feet at the same time the Tyrannodrones did. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a small object and pointed it at the drones, covering them in vines. "God, it feels good to get back to my roots. Oh come on, that was better than your shower line."

Tori rolled her eyes and playfully pushed Xander as they both took off towards the Tyrannodrones. The pair was just a few feet away from the drones when the sky opened back up, sucking the Tyrannodrones into it as they disappeared out of sight.

"Well that was weird," Xander muttered, smiling at Tori. "Come on, love. I think we need to call a few people about this."

Putting his arm around Tori's shoulder he led her back towards the entrance of the Rock Porium. Looking up at him with a smile, Tori asked the one question he hadn't wanted to hear. What's going on with Nick? Shrugging his shoulders, Xander unlocked the door to the building and let Tori go in first before following her in and locking it.

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_Next day, 2025..._

Standing in the middle of a secluded meadow, Bridge Carson spun a cell phone around in his hand while Z sat underneath a tree reading a book. For the last twenty minutes he had been using the cell phone as a makeshift Morpher for reasons Z still didn't understand. It was just one of those eccentric things that came with being Bridge.

She had gotten used to his quirkiness. Hell, she even enjoyed it sometimes. He was the only person he could consistently make her laugh and it didn't matter to him if he looked stupid doing it. Getting Z to laugh, breaking the former criminal's defensive wall had been a triumph for the goofy young man, one he relished and appreciated.

"Why are you doing that?" Z called out to him. "You're not gonna do it. It's been scientifically proven that no one can morph while wearing a hoodie."

"Oh yeah? Watch this. SPD, Emer…," Bridge called out as his sweatshirt spun around and whipped him in the face. "I'll get it right one of these times," he said with a hint of disappointment, Z laughing loudly. He started walking towards her and, when he was a few feet away, dropped into a somersault before popping up back onto his feet and staring down at her. "Watcha reading?"

"_How Not To Laugh At Your Idiotic Boyfriend_," Z retorted, pushing herself onto her feet. "It's a great read. Maybe I'll give it to you when I'm done with it."

"Why would I need that?" Bridge asked with legitimate confusion. "I don't have an idiotic boyfri…oh, I get it. Haha, very funny Z. I'm going back to the base. I need some toast."

Z rolled her eyes and grabbed Bridge's hand as they started walking back to the Delta Base. Five minutes after they had left the field a group of Tyrannodrones appeared, looking confused as to why they were in the middle of a meadow with no Rangers to attack. Bridge's craving for toast had allowed them to narrowly miss a confrontation with the drones. They wouldn't be so lucky the next time, though.

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_Four days later…_

The days leading up to the trip to New York had been full of attacks on Earth's Rangers. Bridge, Z, Xander and Tori weren't the only ones who had been targeted either. When Tommy had checked his email that night he found messages not only from those four but from Eric, Adam, Jason, Shane and Cole as well. Tommy, Kim, Conner and Kira had dealt with two attacks of their own and even Ethan had called to tell them that he had heard strange noises outside the lair on more than one occasion.

This trip was supposed to be a fun time for the foursome that was growing closer as each day passed. Kim and Kira were bonding like sisters, something Tommy and Conner couldn't help but smile at when they saw the way the pair interacted. Close to the same size they had even gone as far as to start wearing each others clothes. The days of just wearing pink had long since passed for Kim so putting on something yellow didn't bother her, although it was a little awkward for the guys to see their girlfriends in each others clothes.

Sadly, the upbeat mood that had dominated the group for the past week or so had been replaced by one of quiet somberness. No one wanted to say anything but they were all on edge after the attacks. Barely a word had been spoken between them on the flight to New York and while Kim had slept on Tommy's shoulder most of the time he exchanged concerned looks with Conner from across the aisle.

He knew Zedd and his army were getting closer to Earth as each day passed and he felt like he was putting millions of people at risk just by going to New York, a city that was full of crime but had never been touched by the evil the planet was about to see. Walking into such a highly populated city was like just asking for it to be attacked. Since the moment their plane had touched down at LaGuardia Airport they had all been on their toes, constantly looking over their shoulders in case of an attack. Luckily, nothing had happened yet.

Walking hand in hand with Kim, Tommy looked over at Conner and gave him a small smile as they made their way through the Bronx. Yankee Stadium, their destination for the evening and a legend in its' own right, was beginning to come into view. As they got closer, Conner felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of the mythical landmark but not because of a love of baseball or an appreciation for its' history. In fact, he hated baseball about as much as he hated his statistics class at the University of Turtle Cove.

Looking down at Kira he smiled brightly and she returned it with a hint of confusion on her face to accompany the smile. Leaving Conner and Kira standing on the sidewalk Tommy took Kim with him to the will call window to pick up their tickets.

"What's going on with those two?" Kim asked, slipping her arm around Tommy's waist and laying her head on his shoulder. "Conner's got the same look on his face that you used to get when you were planning something."

"Two peas in a pod," Tommy muttered slyly, approaching the ticket window as the woman behind it smiled at him. "Hi, we should have four tickets here under Tommy Oliver."

"Yep. I just need to see your driver's license and a credit card to confirm you are who you say you are," she told him, taking his license and MasterCard. "Ooh, a California boy huh? What brings you all the way to New York?"

"Business," Tommy answered simply. He turned around briefly to look at Kimberly and shook his head slowly when he saw her standing there signing autographs. Turning back to the window he took the tickets and his personal items from the lady and thanked her politely.

Tommy joined Conner and Kira again while they all waited patiently for Kim to finish taking pictures and signing autographs. He was starting to get used to Kim being stopped from time to time but when a male fan pulled up his shirt and asked Kim to sign his abs he decided to step in. Kim was legitimately flustered by the request and when Tommy approached her and pulled her into a passionate kiss in front of the man she silently thanked him for intervening. The guy took the hint and backed off as the foursome made their way inside the stadium.

"Thanks," Kim whispered, Tommy nodding his head in reply before she kissed him on the cheek. "I gotta go to the bathroom. Why don't you get us something to eat and I'll meet you at our seats, k?"

"Sure thing, Beautiful. You okay with a hot dog and a beer?" Tommy asked. Kim said that she was and kissed him one last time before heading for the bathroom.

As Kim walked away she jerked her head slyly to her right. Tommy turned his head and found Conner and Kira locked in a passionate makeout session right there on the concourse of Yankee Stadium for everyone and their mother to see. He stood there with his arms folded across his chest, waiting until Kira caught his eye and broke the kiss with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Damn you," Conner muttered with a smile that caused Tommy to smile as they got in line at the concession stand. "You owe me a beer for that one."

"At seven bucks a pop you better fork over some cash, pal," Tommy shot back, Conner rolling his eyes and pulling out his wallet. "I'm just kidding, man. Go down there and get our seats. I want to talk to Kira for a minute."

His voice was low enough so that only Conner could hear it and the young man nodded his head before kissing Kira and disappearing down the concourse. Standing in line, Tommy looked down at Kira and tried to conceal his smile.

"It's a special day for you, huh?" Tommy asked, Kira looking back at him with a confused expression. "I mean, with signing the paperwork and everything this morning."

"Oh. Yeah," Kira replied, still a bit perplexed. "Dr. O, what's going on? Conner's overly excited and you're both acting a little weird."

"I don't know about Conner but I'm just excited for you," Tommy answered smoothly without missing a beat, pointing his finger at the man behind the cash register. "Go ahead and order for you and Conner and then I'll get mine and Kim's."

Kira nodded and ordered two hot dogs, a plate of nachos and a large Coke, stepping off to the side as Tommy placed his order. Four hot dogs, one Coke, an order of nachos, a side of fries, a bag of peanuts and three beers later, Tommy was forking over close to seventy dollars for their food and drinks. Feeling slightly embarrassed at the cost of the food Kira tried to offer him some cash but he refused hit with a wave of his hand.

"You can pay me back with front row seats when you hit it big," Tommy told her with a smile, taking two trays from the man as Kira took another. "Let's go get our seats. Knowing Conner he's probably already pissed off everyone sitting around us. You know he wore a Red Sox hat just to be an ass. He doesn't even like baseball."

A stifled laugh escaped Kira's lips as she and Tommy weaved their way through the crowded concourse, careful not to drop or spill anything. He had no problem paying for the food and drinks but if Kira dropped a five dollar hot dog or he spilled a seven dollar beer he was going to have issues. Quickly making their way to their seats and expecting Conner to already have done something stupid they were both surprised to find him engaged in what appeared to be a normal conversation with the man and woman seated on his left.

Taking careful steps down the stairs, Tommy was amazed at the seats Billy and Katherine had gotten for them. They were right behind the Yankee's dugout as close to the field as you could possibly get without actually sitting next to the players. Tommy and Kira had been surprised to see Conner engaged in a legitimate and normal conversation with two apparent strangers but Tommy nearly dropped both trays when he saw who he was talking to.

Handing the trays to Conner just in time to avoid dropping them, he was bombarded with a huge hug from none other than Katherine Hillard. He had been happy to have Kim, Conner and Kira with him but seeing Billy and Katherine absolutely made his day. Breaking his hug with Katherine he offered his hand to a now standing Billy who shook his head in refusal, opting for a hug instead.

"I see you guys have already met Conner," Tommy said with a smile. "This is Kira Ford. Yellow."

Billy gave Tommy a knowing look and politely shook Kira's hand as Katherine did the same. The initial shock of seeing Billy and Kat wore off a few moments later and reality hit him. Kim was going to be walking down those stairs any minute and he was nervous about how her and Katherine were going to react and interract.

He was just about to tell them about his second go around with Kim when he felt a body sit down next to him. His body was turned in a way so that Kim couldn't see who he was talking to until he turned towards her and leaned back in his seat. Surprised was apparently the word of the day for them. She jumped out of her seat and nearly knocked Tommy's beer over when she saw the two former Rangers.

"Oh my God!" she shrieked, giving Katherine a tight hug. "I totally wasn't expecting to see you guys here. What a surprise! You guys look amazing. What are you doing here?"

"Thanks. So do you," Kat replied with a polite smile. "Tommy left us a message last week asking if we could get tickets. The investment firm I work for has season tickets so I managed to grab a few for tonight. We haven't seen you guys in so long and we thought it would be fun to meet you here."

"My idea by the way," Billy interjected as everyone laughed.

As Kim moved to hug Billy, Kat gave Tommy an awkward look and he replied with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders. That was about all he could manage. He couldn't explain why or even how it had happened, it just did. Kat smiled understandingly and sat back down as Kim sidestepped to avoid stepping on feet and took her seat next to Tommy at the end of the row. Handing Kim a hot dog and the plastic cup of beer he put his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly so only she could hear him. "No awkwardness or anything?"

"You love me don't you?" she asked in reply, Tommy immediately nodding his head. "Then I don't have anything to worry about, do I?"

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully as he leaned in for another kiss. They were an hour early for the game and the Yankees were walking off the field having just finished taking infield practice. All-Star shortstop and third baseman Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez were walking off the field side-by-side and Kim pulled out her camera to take a picture.

A-Rod noticed the camera and slapped Jeter on the chest with his glove, the pair stopping and smiling for her while she snapped the photo. Kim gave them appreciative smiles and they nodded politely before disappearing down into the dugout. A vendor selling Churros was walking down towards them and Billy had pulled out a wad of cash, passing it down to Tommy when Derek Jeter popped back out of the dugout.

Tommy was in the process of taking the money from Billy when he noticed a baseball coming at him out of the corner of his eye. He reacted a moment too late and if Kim hadn't reached out and caught the ball it would have smacked him in the eye. The multiple time All-Star gave Kim an impressed look at her bare handed snag.

"Kim Hart, right? The Olympian?" he asked. She nodded her head and he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a black Sharpie. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all," Kim answered, catching the pen, signing the ball and tossing it back to him. "There you go."

"Thanks," he said, his hand disappearing into the dugout for a second as someone handed him a ball and he tossed it to her. "Enjoy the game."

She read the ball that had been signed by the whole Yankee's starting lineup with a huge smile and then handed it off to Tommy who stared at it in pure shock. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, catcher Jorge Posada, designated hitter Jason Giambi, pitcher Roger Clemens, outfielders Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz and second baseman Robinson Cano had all autographed the ball.

"Does that stuff happen all the time?" Billy asked with a laugh, Kim smiling sheepishly.

"You should have seen us at Musso & Frank's," Tommy interjected with a laugh of his own. "Brad Pitt actually came to our table and asked Kim for an autograph."

"No way. You didn't tell us about that," Kira replied. "The only person we saw when we went was that guy from the old 7-Up commercials that thinks he's funny but is actually pretty lame. That is so not fair."

Kira crossed her arms over her chest in partial disappointment but the frown on her face quickly turned into a smile when Conner planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Putting his arm around her, she laid her head on his shoulder as Kenny Lofton, the leadoff hitter for the Cleveland Indians stepped into the batter's box to start the game.

By the time the sixth inning had rolled around Conner had gone through three hot dogs, six beers and most of the nachos Tommy had purchased for he and Kira. After the third beer he had gotten sick of paying so when the "waitress" rolled around every inning or so Conner would slip Tommy the money for the beer. The Indians were down 5-1 thanks to a two run homerun by Jason Giambi in the third and a three run shot by Derek Jeter in the fifth.

After touching home plate and heading back to the dugout after his homerun Jeter had actually pointed to Kim's group and winked at them, a moment caught live on the Jumbotron. People all around them were congratulating them, exchanging high fives and asking how they knew Derek Jeter which resulted in Kim having to sign a few more autographs. Tommy didn't mind but if the attention stayed on Kim it was going to take away from the moment that was soon approaching.

Luckily, not everyone had noticed and once the action had resumed on the field everything around them had quickly died down. The top of the sixth had the Indians putting three runs on the board after a bases clearing triple by slugger Travis Hafner.

With each out during that half of the sixth inning Conner could feel the butterflies dancing in his stomach growing more and more intense. When Trot Nixon grounded out to end the inning he found his hand creeping into his pocket. Without drawing any attention to himself, Tommy sent Katherine a text message and then nudged Kim with his shoulder, tilting his head towards Conner.

"Hey, Kira," Tommy said softly to her. "Can you see who's due up for the Yankees next inning? I can't see that far without my glasses."

Kira nodded and turned her head towards the scoreboard, her mouth falling open as she read the message on the Jumbotron. _Kira Ford, will you marry me?_ it said in big red letters. When she turned her head to look at Conner he was no longer in his seat but had taken a knee right there in the middle of the row ignoring the massive amount of peanut shells that littered the ground. He had a small black box in his hand that was holding a gold ring with a shiny green emerald, Kira's birth stone, resting on top.

"Kira Ford, you are such an amazing woman. You've shown me more things in two years than I've seen in my whole life before I met you," Conner said with his eyes locked on hers. "Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"

By that point the image of Conner on his knee proposing to Kira was on the big screen in centerfield for all 57, 000 plus people in The House That Ruth Built to see. Even the game had been put on hold as the Indians took their positions in the field but had their backs turned to home plate, staring up at the scoreboard like everyone else in the stadium was.

"Are you serious?" Kira managed to squeak, tears filling her eyes.

"Sweetie, I'm more serious about this than anything else I've ever done," Conner replied, the two couples on either side of them looking at one another and smiling. "I want you to marry me. I want you to be my wife and I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"Yes. Yes, Conner. I'll marry you," Kira whispered. Conner removed the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger, both of them standing up in unison. The words _She Said Yes!_ flashed on the screen and as Conner kissed Kira passionately the whole stadium including the players on the field started clapping and whistling. "I love you so much, Conner."

"I love you too, Kira," he replied, kissing her again before retaking their seats as the people around them offered congratulatory handshakes, high fives and shoulder pats to the newly engaged couple. Kim gave Tommy a hard elbow right to the side and he spun in his chair, turning his head from Conner and Kira to look at her.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his ribs.

"Because you knew about this and didn't tell me," Kim replied matter-of-factly. "I can't believe you knew Conner was going to propose to Kira and you didn't even tell me about it."

"Sorry Kim but I wanted it to be a surprise," Tommy replied defensively. "Besides, would you have enjoyed it as much as you did if you had known what was coming?"

"Dammit Tommy, why do you always have to be right?" Kim shot back with a playful smile. "And don't get any ideas either. If you propose to me like that I'll shoot you down in front of the world."

"Who said I wanted to propose to you?" Tommy asked with a serious look on his face as he went to take a sip of his beer and caught another elbow to his ribs, spilling some of his beer. "You keep hitting me like that and I won't ever ask you to marry me."

Kim got a hurt look on her face but Tommy wiped it away quickly with a smile and a passionate kiss. The brief moment of awkwardness was put aside when Kim put her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with one of her own.

"One of these days, when things settle down, I promise you I'll put a ring on your finger, Beautiful," Tommy said quietly so only she could hear him. "I know we've only been back together for a few weeks but I already know there's no one else out there that I'd want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Kimberly Ann Hart."

"I love you too Thomas James Oliver," Kim replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "I always have and I always will."

A little over an hour later the game had ended with the Yankees squeaking out a victory on a game winning single by Derek Jeter in the bottom of the ninth after the Indians had tied the game on a Travis Hafner homerun in the top half of the same inning. From the time they got up from their seats until the time they reached their cars in the parking lot people would notice Conner and Kira, stopping the couple to congratulate them on their engagement. The walk to the parking lot which should have only taken ten minutes at the most took closer to thirty after being stopped so many times.

Billy's metallic blue Mustang complete with a _BOYNBLU_ license plate was up first before the black Durango Kim's record label had provided them with for the trip. The group of new and old friends exchanged hugs and goodbyes, promising to stay in better contact with each other. Conner and Kira also promised an invitation to their wedding whenever it happened, surprising both Billy and Katherine considering they had just met a few hours earlier.

Walking the rest of the way across the parking lot the public displays of affection between Conner and Kira were starting to heat up. They were twenty feet or so ahead of Tommy and Kim who had fallen back to give the couple a little extra space.

"It's a good thing we're not sharing a room with them and that theirs is on a different floor," Kim muttered with a smile. "I'd hate to hear what goes on between those two tonight."

Tommy groaned at the statement, Kim chuckling a little and letting her fingers interlock with Tommy's as they continued to watch Conner and Kira from behind. Even someone who had never met the couple could tell that they were beyond in love with each other. Conner kept a protective arm around Kira's shoulder, constantly looking to his left and right which wasn't surprising considering it was almost midnight in the middle of the Bronx.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but seeing those two makes me wish I was a teenager again," Kim retorted with an awkward smile. "We missed out on so much these past few years. I just feel this void when I think about how much we didn't get to do together."

"We've got the rest of our lives, Beautiful," Tommy replied, squeezing her hand just a little bit tighter than usual. "Besides, who knows how things would have turned out if you hadn't left. We are who we are today because of what happened. I've got a beautiful Olympic gold medalist who's about to release her first album for a girlfriend and that probably wouldn't have happened if you had stayed in Angel Grove. And as much as I hate that we spent so much time apart, I'm glad we did because I really like who we are now."

Stopping in the middle of the parking lot, Tommy took a page from the book of Conner and Kira and started kissing Kim right there. The occasional drunk fan would howl or whistle at them as they passed by but the couple was too focused on expressing their love to each other to pay it any notice. It wasn't until Tommy felt his cell phone vibrate against his leg five minutes later that they broke their embrace.

Pulling out his phone, Tommy read the text message from Conner that simply said "We're waiting…" and rolled his eyes. Taking Kim's hand again they continued to make their way through the parking lot back to the rental car. The weekend trip that had started off so sourly with the worry of more attacks had turned around into a great day thanks to the baseball game. Plus, they still had another whole day in New York before they had to catch their eleven o'clock flight back to Los Angeles the next night.

To Kim that meant a whole day of shopping in Times Square and on Fifth Avenue. To Tommy, that meant a whole day of time with the woman he loved in one of the most famous and amazing cities that the world had to offer.

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_Whew, another one down. I apologize to those of you who didn't understand the little sequence with Bridge. I've been wanting to write that scene for awhile and, even though it was somewhat out of place I thought it added a little humor to what was a rather, in my opinion, serious chapter. I know some of you were reading that and scratching your heads, wondering where that came from so I'll tell you. At Power Morphicon this past summer there was a panel called "Unsung Heroes" that consisted of Samuell Benta and Gareth Yuen (Will and Dax) from Operation Overdrive, Richard Brancatisano (Xander) from Mystic Force, Matt Austin (Bridge) from SPD and Johnny Yong Bosch, Walter Emmanuel Jones and Jason Narvy (Adam, Zack and Skull) from Mighty Morphin'. They all went up and did their morphs individually and when Matt Austin did his, he was wearing a hoodie that basically made him completely butcher his morph. Trust me, it's a whole lot funnier than it sounds. If you haven't seen it go to YouTube and type in "Unsung Heroes." I think it's in the second or third in the series of five clips. Watch all five of the clips if you have time because Jason Narvy seriously owns Benta at one point and it's quite possibly one of the funniest things I've ever heard come out of anyone's mouth. If you do watch the video, let me know what you thoughts of it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Talk to you soon._

_WK _


	12. The Truth Comes Out

There are times in everyone's life where they must stand up and fight for what they think is right and true. Those who had been Rangers knew this better than most. Battles had been waged for millennia long before the Rangers of the present had accepted the fate of their powers. Many had come before them and many would come long after they had left their world but, for now, their focus lied on the present and the battle they were already engaged in. It was a different battle but a battle nonetheless.

With the seven o'clock sunset as a backdrop Tommy and Kimberly walked hand-in-hand through Central Park, stopping for a moment in front of the _Bethesda _fountain. The sculpture, better known as _The Angel of the Water_ stood tall in the center of the small pool as if it was watching down over those passing by. Just being underneath its' widespread wings one couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort, of protection. Especially to the couple about to face their greatest challenge to date.

Tommy watched Kim like a hawk as she let go of his hand and quietly approached the edge of the fountain without him. Resting her hands on the stone barrier tears filled her eyes when she looked up at the angel standing tall above her. Little by little she was breaking down, something Tommy had noticed almost as soon as they had been reunited on that fateful day when he had taped the note to the door of her school.

She was strong, nearly fearless but something was eating at her and probably had been long before they had seen each other for the first time in a decade. One minute she was all smiles, giggling and full of life like the Kim of old but in the blink of an eye all that could change and had done so many times recently. Her eyes were locked on the angel's as if she was asking for something, pleading with God's servant to give her some sort of aid.

For a time when the park was usually bustling and full of activity it was unusually quiet on this particular night. Occasionally a couple or family would pass by, stopping for a moment to admire the statue or take a photo before continuing on their way but nothing else beyond that. He wanted to reach out to her, to make her talk to him but Kim had put up her wall years before they had stumbled back into each other's lives. Loving each other the way they did only made it that much harder to deal with for both of them. Tommy was resigned to knowing there was nothing he could do, at least not until she decided to open up.

Loving someone so strongly and not being able to comfort them in a time of sadness can take a strong emotional toll on a person, causing them to grieve right alongside their companion only for different reasons. All Tommy wanted to do was put a comforting hand on her shoulder and let her know that everything was going to be okay. All Kim wanted was to know that everything _was_ going to be okay.

But they weren't teenagers anymore. As young Rangers their biggest worries consisted of the monster of the day, a pimple before the big dance or one of Ms. Applebee's infamous pop quizzes. They only wished things were still that simple for them.

Tommy remembered a time where all he had to do was touch Kim's arm, smile at her and watch as all her worries floated away. Now that they were all grown up, he couldn't even do that. He was helpless, forced to stand by idly while tears fell from Kim's eyes and made tiny splashes into the cold water below.

She gripped the sides of the barrier tightly, motionless except for when her body shook and shuddered with the emotion that was overtaking her. Neither of them were surprised when she let go of her grip and wiped her eyes, turning to look at Tommy with a smile. With slow and fluent motions he walked towards her and tried to embrace the petite woman but she pushed him back and turned her head away.

The hurt expression on his face spoke volumes for how Tommy was feeling at the rejection she had just shown him. When he tried to put a hand on her shoulder she jerked away, hugging herself tightly as she began walking in the direction opposite of him. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans with a dejected look, he resolved to quietly follow her, giving her some space but staying close enough to at least keep an eye on her.

His footsteps were intentionally loud enough to let her know that he was behind her but she ignored them and continued down the path in silence. Occasionally she would stop to look at something and as soon as her feet would stop moving Tommy's did the same, not wanting to get closer than she was already allowing him to. He had saved cities and worlds, fought some of the universe's strongest evil forces into submission yet he couldn't help her, the one who he'd give his life for.

As the night wore on it got to the point where neither of them had any idea where they were going. Every few minutes Kim would change directions, cutting across the grass or turning with the path almost as if she was trying to lose Tommy but not putting any effort into her task. He would have almost rather seen her fully try to shake him than go half-assed at it.

He knew he could catch up to her if she tried to bolt but seeing the woman who had never done anything without maximum effort was heartbreaking. There was not a time he could remember when Kim did something without giving it her all. Whether it was gymnastics, school, running for class president or fighting evil she always gave one-hundred percent in everything she did. It was like her tank was on empty and she was just doing her best to keep it running on fumes.

They were approaching the _Alice in Wonderland_ sculpture when Kim turned around to face him, her face stained both with old and new tears. In front of the bronze replica of the Mad Hatter was an oversized mushroom, perfectly sized for two to share only Kim wasn't much in the mood for sharing. Unfortunately for her, Tommy wasn't much in the mood for chasing his girlfriend all around Central Park in the dark.

She tried to resist him when he sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulder but he refused to let her go. His arm stayed tightly around her, keeping her on the makeshift seat until she heaved a sigh of defeat and buried her face against his chest. Bringing his other arm around he pulled her into a hug, ignoring the wetness that was beginning to quickly seep through his t-shirt.

Kim shook in his arms but he still held on, trying his hardest to steady her movements that were like miniature convulsions. They stayed like that for quite awhile until she finally worked up the courage to actually look him in the eyes. Pulling one of his arms away from her back he reached up and softly brushed the tears away from her face

"I'm doing my best to be understanding, sweetheart, I really am but I feel so helpless when you shut me out like this," Tommy muttered, putting his forehead against Kim's. "I'd do anything I could to make you feel better but you have to talk to me. Keeping whatever it is bottled up inside you is only going to make things worse, Beautiful."

"It's not that simple, Tommy. I've been hurt in ways that you couldn't even imagine," Kim began, trying not to cry more when Tommy flinched at her statement. "Having to go through what I did there are times where I just feel like throwing in the towel and giving up. Can I tell you something and know that you will never tell another living soul?"

Tommy's eyes momentarily met Kim's as he momentarily pondered her question. Whatever it was it was obviously serious. There was a certain sense of pressure that came with being forced into a promise like that but he wanted her to know that she could trust him, that he was there for her. With patient eyes he gave her a soft nod as she took a very deep and elongated breath.

"After I broke up with you almost all our friends shut me out except for Jason, Trini and Aisha. Jason was in Switzerland with Trini at the time, Aisha was still in Africa and Jessica had to stay in Florida for training. Right before the Beijing games, I got hurt in training to the point doctors told me I wouldn't ever be able to compete again. It was all over the news so I'm sure you heard about it," Kim said softly, her eyes on the ground as Tommy nodded that he had heard the news. "I got really depressed and had no one to turn to. One night I picked up a knife with the intention to end it all. I just couldn't deal with being alone. The only thing that stopped me was thinking about you. I always held onto the hope that I'd get another chance with you to make things right. I couldn't bring myself to end it without trying to fix things between us."

His jaw practically hit the floor at Kim's words as he stared at her, tears filling both their eyes. He didn't know what to say. For the first time in a long time he was truly at a loss for words. How do you respond to something like that? How are you supposed to react when your girlfriend tells you she hated her life enough to try and end it?

The days and weeks after Kim's injury had been dark days for her but that was only the beginning of it. There was so much more that she wanted to tell him but didn't have the strength to at the time. She flinched when his hand met the side of her face but this time she didn't pull away or try to escape. His thumb ran across her face, wiping away her tears while he ignored his own.

"Why are you telling me this, Kim?" he asked with compassion, stroking her cheek softly.

"Because there will come a time when I decide to tell you everything. I'm still coming to terms with a lot of the stuff that happened to me," she muttered in reply through sniffles. "Honestly, I'm afraid if I tell you everything at once that you'll freak out and run as far away as possible. If I tell you things in pieces it's easier for me 'cause I don't worry about the end result as much."

Moving his hand from her face he grabbed both of hers and forced her to look him in the eye. He was as emotional if not more than she was now but he was doing everything in his power to maintain his composure for her sake. Knowing that Kim had even contemplated something so horrific was tearing him up inside but he couldn't let her see that, especially not when she was already in the midst of an emotional breakdown.

The way her body shook with each tear that escaped her eye crushed his heart more and more. There they were in a city neither of them knew in the middle of a park where crime was affluent. It came as no surprise when, at the moment Tommy moved to hug her, a pack of Krybots, Emperor Gruumm's robotic foot soldiers landed in a circle around them.

"What the hell are those things?" Kim asked, both of them immediately hopping to their feet.

"Krybots," Tommy answered, Kim nodding as the distance between them and the Krybots began to quickly close. "I don't have much experience with them but they're stronger than Putties. Be careful. Don't morph unless you have to."

Kim nodded again and the pair went back to back with the Krybots only a few feet away. A sidekick from Tommy to the chin of one of the soldiers sent it flying into a tree, eliminating one but still leaving fifteen or so. Leaning forward and pushing herself into a handstand, Kim's ankles wrapped around the neck of a Krybot and snapped it, almost fully dismembering its' head.

A sadistic grin crept across her face as if she had really enjoyed decapitating the creature but it was quickly wiped away when a punch from one of the bots met her stomach, knocking the wind out of her as she dropped to her knees. Kim coughing, trying to catch her breath alerted Tommy just as one of the Orangeheads was about to slice down on her. Running towards the mushroom they had been sitting on a few moments earlier, he jumped onto it and pushed off, launching himself into a front flip that turned into a two-footed kick to the chest of the bot.

Kim gave him a thankful smile and he nodded before they moved on to handle the rest of the Krybots. The fight waged on in the middle of Central Park for quite some time with the team of Tommy and Kim going back and forth with the multitude of robots. By the time they had disposed of them all it had been nearly thirty minutes, a fight that would have taken a fifth that time if it had been Putties. Unlike Tommy, Kim hadn't been in a fight for quite awhile and she was thoroughly winded by the end of it.

She practically collapsed in Tommy's arms and he immediately moved her back to their seat on the bronze mushroom. Holding her closely, he waited until her heartbeat had settled down and her breathing had steadied before releasing her from his grip. He had expected her to get up, to go through another mood swing but she grabbed his hands and pulled them back around her waist. Resting the back of her head against his chest, they sat in silence in the deserted park for close to ten minutes.

Occasionally, Tommy would kiss the top of her head and Kim would smile but no communication was exchanged beyond that. Truth be told, there wasn't a need for anything else. Kissing her head was Tommy's way of letting Kim know that he was there for her and her smiles, even though he couldn't see them, were her way of telling him that she appreciated it and him. Turning around to face him, Kim had a look of genuine gratefulness in her eyes.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"For what?" Tommy asked in reply.

"For everything. I guess I just wasn't expecting you to be so understanding about all of this," Kim answered honestly. "I just…I know how strongly you feel about stuff like that and I thought you'd be mad. I'm really thankful that I have someone so understanding to tell this to. I don't think the others would have reacted the same way."

"I love you, Kim. The fact that you didn't go through with it just proves how strong you really are. When I lost my Green Ranger powers for good I was depressed too," Tommy replied solemnly. "It didn't ever get that far but there were times when I hated my life, hated not being able to fight and be with you. Part of loving someone and being in a relationship with them is being there to help them through tough times. That's what I'm here for. I can't judge you because we've all made mistakes. None of us are perfect and none of us ever will be. All I care about is that, at this moment, I have you in my arms. The past is the past and the future is the future. It's the present that matters."

Kim couldn't see it but there was an underlying message and story in what Tommy had just said. His monologue hadn't been about the Green Ranger powers. Losing his powers was easy compared to the real truth behind what he had told her. It all came back to the letter. The letter that had nearly destroyed his life.

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_Flashback_

_1996_

_Dear Tommy,_

_Everything is going great here in Florida. Coach Schmidt has me as ready as I'll ever be for the competition. Tommy, this is the hardest letter that I'll ever write. always been my best friend, and in some ways you're like a brother to me. But, something has happened here that I can't explain. It's been both wonderful and painful at the same time. Tommy, I've met someone else. You know I would never do anything to hurt you, but I feel like I've found the person I belong with. He's wonderful, kind, and caring. You'd really like him...Everything would be perfect if it weren't for hurting you but I have to follow my heart. I'll always care about you Tommy. Please forgive me. _

_Kimberly_

His body shook violently as he laid on his bed, reading the letter for what had to have been the hundredth time since he had gotten it two weeks prior and nothing had changed. Not that he had expected it to but still. Parts of her letter stuck out more than others: brother, someone else, never do anything to hurt you. They were all words and phrases he'd never expected to come from Kim, at least not directed at him.

The fact of the matter was that he wasn't like a brother to her. He knew that and so did all of their friends. None of them really believed that Kim could write such a letter but the proof was undeniable.

Had he done something wrong? Maybe he hadn't called or written enough. Maybe all Kim was doing was testing him to see if he was willing to fight for them, for what he knew was a love that would never die regardless of what Kim said.

Tommy didn't cry. It was just something he didn't do. He didn't cry when he lost his powers or when Jason, Trini and Zack left for Switzerland or when Kim moved to Florida. He didn't cry when his brother was kidnapped or when Zedd had almost killed Kim. He had kept everything bottled up for so long, always afraid to show this side of him for fear of worrying his teammates but now, with no teammates around to worry about, he was free to cry. And cry he did.

The box of tissues he had taken from his mom's bathroom was long gone, little white balls littering his bedroom floor. Years of pent up emotions had exploded in one terrible moment, the worst moment of his young life. Losing Kim was worse than any power loss he had ever experienced and he had been through many.

Elizabeth Oliver, the woman that had adopted him as a baby, had been the victim of a very painful tooth extraction that had left her with a prescription bottle filled with little white vicodin tablets. Home alone and thinking the pills could at least numb the pain he was feeling, he had gone to the kitchen to retrieve the bottle. Still shaking, his fingers fumbled with the lid as he tried to pry it off.

Eventually he steadied his hands enough to match the arrow on the lid to the one on the bottle and was starting to push the lid off when a knock came at the door. The unexpected noise caused Tommy to jump, spilling dozens of the pills on the kitchen floor. Frantically, Tommy scooped up as many tablets as possible and returned them to the bottle before moving to the door. He looked out the peep hole just in time to see a brown UPS truck pulling away from his house.

When he opened the door there was a brown cardboard box on the welcome mat addressed to him. Grabbing the box, he slammed the door shut and ran into his room, forgetting about his mom's medicine. He tore through his desk until he found a pair of scissors, turning them on the box and cutting the tape away. There was no return address on the box so he wasn't sure what to expect but what lay inside the container definitely wasn't it.

Sitting in the box was a binder covered in white cloth, the word "Memories" emblazoned on the front in elegant gold cursive. Taped to the binder was a piece of lined paper with a handwritten message scratched onto it in an all too familiar script.

_Always remember. Never forget. Memories never die. In our hearts, they'll always live and never say goodbye. Stay strong, Tommy. The others need you and so do we. We're thinking about you and we love you._

_Jason, Trini, Zack_

_P.S. Jason's coming home soon…_

Tossing the note on his nightstand, he watched as it landed in an eerie position right on top of Kim's letter, completely covering it. Shaking his head, Tommy carefully pulled the binder from the box and opened it not knowing that the same package, albeit with a different note, was currently en route to Miami.

A single tear escaped his eye, sliding down his face and landing on the very first picture he had taken with Kim right after Jason had broken Rita's spell over him. It was the last tear he'd ever cry because of what she had done. As he flipped further through the book of pictures he soon realized that it was a chronological account of his time with Kim starting with his first day as a true Power Ranger and ending with the last one they had taken together, the day before she left for Florida.

How they had gotten pictures of them after they had left for Switzerland was beyond him but he didn't question it. When a Ranger set their mind to something they could do anything they wanted to. There were so many candid shots of them that he didn't even know had been taken and he couldn't help but smile at the photo of Kim trying to pull him out of the dunk tank at the high school carnival after Jason had dropped him three times in a row, herself getting soaked in the process.

_Well worth the five bucks_ he recalled Jason saying after Tommy had pulled Kim in to the water with him. With a newfound resolve, Tommy closed the photo album and tucked it under his bed but not before folding Kim's letter inside the note his friends had attached and stuffing them into the back of the binder.

Kim had been a bright and wonderful part of his life for close to four years but it was at that moment that he realized something profound. He didn't _need_ Kim. He wanted her but he didn't _need_her. His life, even though he had thought it would fall apart without her in it, would continue just fine with her not a part of it. The note from Jason, Trini and Zack made him realize he had friends, friends that loved him and depended on him. Sure, his life would have been a whole lot easier with Kim in it but with friends like his, that was all he needed.

For what felt like the first time in a long while he fell back on his bed and really truly smiled. Not a smile to appease his friends or parents, a smile for himself. Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy, Adam, Rocky, Aisha, Tanya, Kat, they would always be there for him and he finally understood that. She may have broken his heart but all wounds healed with time. Besides, chicks dig guys with scars.

He knew Kat had an eye for him but he just hadn't been ready to let go of Kim and move on. Maybe, just maybe he'd take her up on that offer for dinner and a movie now.

Closing his eyes, he drifted off into the first comfortable sleep he'd experienced since receiving the letter from her. He dreamt and dreamt wonderfully. Not nightmares about Kim, how much he loved her and how hurt he was like he had done consistently for the last two weeks but about his friends. The friends he would have forever, the friends that would always, _always_ love him.

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Kim's little excursion through the park had caused them to miss their scheduled flight back to Los Angeles. Not only that but Conner and Kira had been worried sick about them when they hadn't shown back up at the hotel at nine o'clock like they had promised before leaving. When they finally had gotten back to their hotel at eleven Kim had immediately gone to the room she was sharing with Tommy, leaving him to do his best to explain things to their young friends.

Obviously, he didn't go into great detail but his explanation, albeit short, was enough to calm the young adults down enough to where they could sort things out. At Tommy's request, Kira had called the airport to see about rescheduling their flight but there wasn't another plane to L.A. that wasn't full for almost two whole days.

When Kira had told them that they had decided to extend their stay in New York and wait the two days for a new flight, something none of them were very happy about. And they would have kept that plan if not for Conner's quick thinking that was quickly replacing his dumb jock persona as commonplace. When he had suggested flying to Reefside instead it was like the proverbial light bulb over their heads had been turned on and boy was it shining brightly.

Why none of them hadn't thought of that was unknown but equally irrelevant at the same time. With enough pleading, weaseling and a sob story from Kira about how her grandmother was ill and she desperately needed to get back to California, their flight had been changed to leave LaGuardia in three hours. Their bags already packed and ready to go, Tommy ran them through a Taco Bell drive-thru on the way to the airport.

Leaving at two a.m. the six hour flight put them back in California right around five in the morning pacific time thanks to the difference in time zones. Right before boarding the plane Kim called Jason and asked if he could pick them up at the airport. It was a three hour drive from Angel Grove to Reefside but he had agreed even if it was reluctantly.

Trini had been torn between staying home, sleeping and going to work like any other day and calling in sick to ride with Jason and pick up their friends. The site of the beautiful Vietnamese woman standing in the airport wearing moccasin slippers, pajama bottoms and a red sweatshirt that clearly belonged to Jason was enough to lighten the mood that had been dampened just hours earlier. She looked pissed that she was there at five a.m. but Jason had been quick to remind her that it had been her choice to come, a reminder that earned him a pinch and a punch on the arm during the ride to Tommy's house.

The living room light was clearly on when they pulled up the gravel driveway in Jason's Tahoe, parking next to an old blue Ford Bronco that Tommy had never seen before. Initially confused and, quite frankly, a little worried, he breathed a sigh of relief when Conner, knowing who the vehicle belonged to, pointed out the license plate.

"What is it with you guys and your stupid vanity plates?" Tommy asked groggily, referring to the _SUPRSKN_ plate accompanied with the frame that read _I've got… _on top with _…and you don't_on the bottom."Fucking classy," he muttered. "Whatever happened to being conspicuous and keeping your identities a secret?"

"Come on, Dr. O. Would it really be that bad if people knew?" Conner asked. "It's not like there haven't been other Ranger teams with known identities. It'd probably be an advantage if people knew. Think about all the stuff we could do."

Midway to his front door, Conner's words caused Tommy to freeze on the spot and spin around to face his protégé. Simultaneous "uh-oh's" escaped the lips of Jason, Kim and Trini as an angry expression formed on Tommy's face. If it wasn't close to six and they hadn't just spent six hours on an airplane, the three who had served with Tommy during his first stint as a Ranger knew what would have followed the glare he shot towards Conner.

Zordon's rules and legacy were something Tommy valued and respected as much as anything he'd ever learned as a civilian and as a Ranger. The rules were simple: never escalate a battle unless forced to, never reveal your identity to non-Rangers and never use your power for personal gain. Why those basic rules had been abandoned by so many teams was beyond comprehension for him. In his mind, the Rangers who chose not to follow Zordon's code might as well have been spitting on a legacy. Not just Zordon's but the Rangers who had come before them and paved the way for future generations as well.

At that moment he wanted nothing more than to sit Conner down right there in the front yard and give him a stern lecture about respecting the past but Kim's pleading and equally sleepy eyes prevented him from following through with his plan. Instead of a stern lecture, he opted for a stern finger pointed directly at Conner who was oblivious to what he had done. It wasn't ignorance though, he genuinely didn't know what he had said to upset his mentor so much.

"Conner, a long time ago when I was your age I learned three very simple and basic things. Three," Tommy said to him, holding up three fingers for added effect. "What you just suggested not only violates but completely pisses on two of those things. I'd watch the video again before saying things like that if I was you."

And with that, Tommy spun on his heels and continued towards the front door leaving one of the other veteran Rangers to explain to Conner what he had done wrong. As Tommy put his key into the lock he heard a beeping noise coming from inside his house that made him completely forget about what had just transpired between him and Conner. Pushing the door open, he sprinted into the living room where he found Ethan asleep on the couch with his laptop sitting on the coffee table still turned on.

He had rushed into the house, perceiving the beeping sound to be something other than what it really was which was just Ethan's computer trying to tell him that his battery was low. Something serious must have happened to keep Ethan awake long enough to the point that he had forgotten to turn his computer off before crashing.

"Ethan!" Tommy yelled loudly but the young man didn't move a muscle. He tried again at the sound of the others approaching him and this time he bolted upright into a sitting position.

"I didn't do it mom, I swear. It's Conner's porn not mine," he said defensively, looking rather embarrassed at the sight of Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Conner and Kira all standing there looking at him. "Oh, it's you guys. Umm…I didn't just say that."

"Whatever," Tommy replied with a roll of his eyes as the others tried their hardest not to laugh. It probably wouldn't have been nearly as funny if not for the senility that had overtaken them all due to the time of day and lack of sleep. "What were you doing that made you forget to turn off the lights and your computer? No, more importantly, what the hell are you doing on my couch?"

"My internet connection is down at my house and with all the stuff in the basement I just decided to come over here and pirate yours. Let me tell you, that connection speed is ridiculously fast," Ethan explained, hoping to end it there but the look on Tommy's face told him that his mentor wanted the whole story. "Fine," he muttered begrudgingly. "I was playing _Super Ninja Space Wars_ online with Rocky and Adam if you must know."

"Rocky and Adam are here?" Tommy asked in confusion. Now it was Ethan's turn to roll his eyes.

"No. I said I was playing with them online," Ethan told him. Tommy, who was unfamiliar with the concept of online gaming just shrugged his shoulders.

"Dude, you were playing with guys online," Conner interjected, pointing his finger at Ethan and laughing. "Do you have any idea how gross that sounds. I hope you don't kiss your mom with that mouth."

"I don't," Ethan replied with a grin. "But I kiss your mom with it."

Conner's face turned bright red and Ethan knew what was coming. Hopping up from his seat on the couch he took off in a sprint towards the stairs but Conner was much too quick for him to escape from. He didn't even have to use his super speed to cut his friend off before he had even reached the first step.

Five sets of eyes all rolled in unison when Conner put Ethan in a headlock and proceeded to give his friend a noogie. Ethan screamed like a little girl as Conner rubbed his knuckles back and forth against his head, applying more and more pressure until Tommy had seen and heard enough. He was just about to yell at them to stop when Ethan turned the tides on Conner.

Reaching around and lifting up the back of Conner's t-shirt, Ethan grabbed the waistband of his boxer shorts and pulled them up as hard as he could. Conner jumped high into the air, yelping at the wedgie and releasing Ethan at the same time.

It was late, or early, whatever you call it when it's six in the morning and you've been up for almost twenty-four hours with no sleep and no one wanted to laugh but the sight of Conner's boxer shorts pulled into his butt was impossible not to laugh at. His face that had been red at Ethan's comment turned into a tomato when he realized they were all laughing at him. Kira, feeling just a little sympathetic towards her fiancée walked over to him and pulled his underwear down for him since he obviously wasn't thinking enough to do it himself.

"You're both retarded if you ask me. Come on, Conner," Kira said softly, slipping her arm around his waist and pointing upstairs. "I'm ready for bed. Dr. O, is it okay if we take one of the guest bedrooms?"

Tommy nodded and told them it was fine as long as no loud noises woke him up, adding a wink at the end just for them. Ethan looked like he wanted to vomit at the thought of Conner and Kira making loud noises but he was too tired to care. Apparently, staying up until five in the morning to play _SNSW_ with two full grown men will do that to a person. The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs alerted the others as Conner came back down, popped his head around the corner and looked at Tommy.

"Can we talk for a minute?" he asked with a serious expression. Tommy, looking at Kim for approval, got it and nodded to Conner, leading him into the kitchen. "Look, they told me about Zordon and his rules and how much they mean to you. I honestly had no idea. I wouldn't have said anything like that if I had known how much they meant to you. I'm really sorry, Dr. O."

"It's okay, Conner. I know you didn't know," Tommy replied with a smile. "Jason may have been the one to break the spell Rita had on me but Zordon is the reason I'm still a Ranger. Every time my powers weakened he did everything in his power to fight for me. He even used his own energy to keep me going at one point and it nearly killed him. When I lost my Green Ranger powers permanently, he went to work on making the White Ranger powers for me. Zordon was like a father to everyone who knew him. It just tears me up when I see teams like Lightspeed Rescue and Operation Overdrive that don't even know or care about him and what he did. Without Zordon, none of us would even be here today."

"Man, I didn't know any of that stuff. I feel like such an asshole," Conner added, both of them chuckling slightly. "You'll never hear me say anything like that again. You are who you are because of Zordon and I am who I am because of you. If Zordon and his rules mean that much to you than I should respect that. And I will from now on, I promise."

"Good," Tommy nodded, shaking Conner's hand tightly. "Now go to bed 'cause that's where I'm going. I'll see you in the morning, man."

Conner nodded as Tommy put a friendly arm around his shoulder and led him back into the living room before he headed for the stairs once more. Ignoring the people around him, Ethan walked back to the couch and collapsed on to it, grabbing his blanket off the floor and pulling it back over his body. Twenty seconds later he was out leaving just the four veterans standing there.

"You guys staying?" Tommy yawned at them, Jason nodding his head. "K. You know where everything is. Make yourselves at home. I'm going to bed. Thanks again for the ride."

"No problem, bro," Jason replied, clasping Tommy on the shoulder then hugging Kim. "Come on Trini, it's time for bed. Trini?"

Jason looked at her with a puzzled expression until he realized she was standing there but definitely wasn't awake. Chuckling quietly, he scooped her into his arms trying not to wake her but she could have slept through an earthquake, tsunami, flood, fire and hurricane at that point.

Putting his arm around Kim's shoulder, Tommy had to practically drag her up the stairs behind Jason and the sleeping lump in his arms that was Trini's body. Halfway up the steps Tommy had already started undressing, pulling off his t-shirt and handing it to Kim. Once in his room they finished undressing and Kim pulled the t-shirt he had handed to her over her body that was all but naked except for a pair of panties that could have easily doubled for dental floss.

Tommy had to turn his head at the sight, trying not to stare at the bottom half of Kim's perfect ass in fear of what it would do to him. He waited until she was all the way tucked in and covered before taking his side of the bed. Throwing his arm around her, he pulled Kim into a spooning position and kissed her goodnight. No sooner had she turned her head away, both of them muttering a simple "goodnight" before they had fallen asleep. It was probably a good thing too. They were going to need all the rest they could get.

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_Okay, first off let me say that in no way do I condone or think suicide is okay. It's touched my life more times than most. I just got sick of stories that portrayed the Rangers as perfect people, something I'm guilty of from time to time, when they aren't. They're human and they do human things. Unfortunately, that's one of them. Hope you liked this chapter. Talk to you soon._

_WK_


	13. Last Words

The moment Tommy rolled over in bed a little over a week after coming back from New York he immediately felt the sting of tears forming in his eyes. Kim was nestled up against him, still asleep, and he gently lifted his arm up from around her body, careful not to disturb her. It was oddly cold and the sound of rain beating against his house told him he needed more on than just a pair of boxer shorts so he grabbed an old pair of black sweats and a green hooded sweatshirt from his closet.

Arriving back home in Reefside in the wee hours of the morning, everyone had slept until late in to the afternoon. That evening, Tommy and Kim had taken everyone out to dinner, including Conner, Kira and Ethan's parents. It was at that time where Conner and Kira announced their engagement to their family and friends who didn't already know.

Kira's parents seemed more than apprehensive, maybe even a little angry but she had assured and reassured them that she knew exactly what she was doing. Conner, who came from divorced parents with his mother living in Texas, only had his father who was ecstatic that his son had found such a "good catch" as he so eloquently put it.

Looking out his bedroom window and blinking back tears, Tommy shook his head at the irony of the torrential downpour that was happening in the middle of summer. Southern California, unlike the northern half of the state, was a popular tourist attraction for its' summer weather because it never got too hot. It was a time where it should have been sunny and mildly warm not downright cold and rainy. Much too depressing to be summer time in Southern California.

Maybe it was a sign or maybe it wasn't. He didn't want or need to know. With a deep sigh, Tommy turned his eyes from the window and made his way out of his room, going downstairs towards the kitchen.

With each depressing step he felt his heart throb, knowing what this day was and what it meant to him and his friends. Starting a pot of coffee, he opened up the newspaper and fell into his recliner. A diehard San Diego Padres fan, he tried to read about their win over the San Francisco Giants the night before but, unable to maintain his focus on the words in front of him, he tossed the paper on the coffee table and turned on the television.

He hated television and had hated it ever since he was a kid. The idea of sitting in front of a screen and vegging out to nothing in particular had just never really appealed to him. In his mind, there were always so many more important things to do. Why he had such an expensive flat screen was something beyond his realm of comprehension. Even Kim had commented the first time she saw it on how odd it was for Tommy, who as a teenager had been more concerned with karate, sports and working out, to own such a big television set.

The only time it was ever on was if other people were over or if there was a big sporting event or movie on that he wanted to watch. Aside from that, the screen usually maintained its' normal blackness. If nothing else the nine-thousand dollar, sixty-five inch, flat screen looked good hanging on his living room wall even if he did rarely get any use out of it.

The clock on the DVD player told him it was eight a.m. which meant the people he had called four days earlier would be arriving within the next four hours. With the morning news playing in the background, he went back into the kitchen to retrieve his coffee mug and to get his daily caffeine fix. He drank the scalding hot liquid, no sugar or cream, in rather large gulps, ignoring the tingling sensation of the taste buds on his tongue being burnt to a crisp.

Three cups later, he poured some more beans into a new filter and started making another pot for Kim who he knew would be up relatively soon. Leaving the kitchen with no real destination in mind, he found himself heading towards the steps that led to his basement. Just before opening the door, he paused and took a moment to observe the state of his house. It wasn't exactly clean but he didn't really care and he knew that none of the people coming over later would care either.

Under normal circumstances he probably would have gotten an earful from at least a few people but not when there were much more important things to be concerned with, like why he had sent eight of his oldest friends frantic emails four days earlier requesting that they all come to Reefside. Pulling out the black leather chair in his basement from under his desk, Tommy took a seat and hit the power button on his computer, tapping his fingers on his desk while the machine booted up.

While he waited for his personal computer to come to life he rolled his chair over to the other computer, the one designated for "work" that was never turned off. He found the folder titled "Don't Open" and clicked on it as the tears in his eyes returned once more. The contents of the folder, by his design, were protected by a password that only he knew. Typing in a very random combination of letters and numbers, he wiped at his eyes before clicking on what he was looking for.

It was an icon designated as a video, one that he had watched at least a dozen times if not more since receiving it, both alone and with Kimberly. Every time they watched it tears were the emotion of choice for both of them. Usually, even if something bad happened that effected both of them emotionally, one always tried to maintain their composure for the other but with this video, it was impossible to keep dry eyes.

When he had gotten the email from Andros those four days earlier he had expected it to be something regarding the future of their mission, maybe a status update on the Destroyers or the other Rangers. In some weird and twisted way perhaps it did pertain to the mission, just not in the context that Tommy had been prepared for.

The moment he saw that he had a message from Andros he called Kim down into the basement. She had made it perfectly clear to him that, as an integral part of what was going on, she wanted to be informed of the happenings of both their allies and enemies so he had done what she had requested by calling for her even before he had seen the contents of the email. Sitting on his lap with her arm draped around his neck, she and Tommy both began crying the moment he started playing the video for the first time.

A written message from Andros had been sent to him with the attached video and, Tommy and Kim both made verbal note of how weird it seemed before watching the real reason behind Andros' communication with them. The message was simple yet equally complicated in the same breath. Opening up a web browser, he logged into his email account and found the saved email, clicking on it and dabbing at his eyes at the same time as he read it again.

_Tommy, Kimberly and everyone else_ _this may concern _it read.

_I have recently come into possession of something I think you all should see. Using DECA and Alpha 7 (Tommy, thanks again for leaving him with me. He's been a huge help) I found the attached video stored in Alpha's hard drive. It's locked, password protected and came with strict instructions that it was only to be opened by you. After speaking with Alpha I was able to extract some information from him before sending this to you guys. I have a feeling that this is going to bring up some painful memories so I apologize in advance if this message upsets you. We will be in contact soon, I am sure. Take care of yourselves. - Andros_

The cursor on the screen hovered over the video link, Tommy thinking about watching it once again but he changed his mind, instead rolling the chair back across the room to his personal computer. A position in the science department at UCLA had been brought to his attention by Anton Mercer and, at his friend's urging, Tommy had initiated contact with the head of the department. He had been waiting for an email in reply for a few days and, in a brief moment of positivity, found he had gotten one. Moving the cursor across the screen, he was just about to click on the new email when the sound of a guitar being played in the living room made its' way into the basement.

Pushing his chair back, he got up from his seat and quietly started up the stairs, stopping at the closed door as he put his ear to it and listened. Sitting down on the top step, he rested his head against the wooden door. Hearing Kim's voice and the melancholy sound of her singing wiped away any good feelings he was having in an instant.

_I'm not really good at all this stuff  
About telling everyone that I've got it all figured out  
Responsibility is not my bag of tea  
Give me some of that and I'll just turn and run away_

_'Cause it's just like the way you are  
To lift me up when I've gone too far away  
Patch my fears and all of my scars  
It's just you and me_

_Help me to see, to feel, your love is real_

_Help me to see, to feel, your love is real_

_You're the one that always calls my bluff  
And your information seems to keep me from wearing out  
If I'm in the dark I know you're there with me  
Guiding every step I take in your liberty_

_'Cause it's just like the way you are  
To lift me up when I've gone too far away  
Patch my fears and all of my scars  
It's just you and me_

_Help me to see, to feel, your love is real_

_Help me to see, to feel your love is real_

The tears returned once more at the song that was littered with subliminal messages and double meanings. It could have meant any number of things, especially considering everything that had happened recently. Maybe she was singing about Tommy. Or maybe she was singing about God. Or maybe she was singing about the reason behind the video that Andros had warned them would probably be a painful one for them to watch. Whatever it was, Tommy found himself with the sudden urge to run into the living room, grab on to Kim and never let her go.

When the door opened, Kim looked up in surprise to see Tommy standing there and looking at her, his eyes filled again with tears. Without saying a word, she found herself dropping her guitar on the floor and meeting Tommy halfway as they embraced each other tightly. Kim buried her face against his chest, not one word coming from either of them for nearly five minutes.

His arms growing tired, Tommy finally let go of Kim, the pair moving back to the couch still having not spoken to each other. With a hand on her knee, he did his best to offer her a comforting smile but they both knew that nothing, aside from time and lots of it, was going to be able to heal their newly opened wounds.

For the longest time Kim just laid there with her head resting in his lap, Tommy occasionally stroking her hair or tracing his fingers gently up and down her arms. After quite some time of that, Kim finally sat up and leaned in, kissing Tommy softly on the lips before standing up and heading for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Tommy asked in a near whisper.

"To shower," Kim answered in an equally quiet voice. "The others are going to be here in a couple hours. I at least want to look decent before I turn into a complete train wreck again."

Tommy gave her a simple head nod, watching her move up the stairs until she was completely out of sight. Once she was gone from his line of vision he made his way back down the steps and into the basement to read the email he had gotten from UCLA.

_Dr. Oliver,_

_Thank you for your interest in the newly opened position in our science department. As I'm sure you know, UCLA is a highly regarded academic institution and it is a severe rarity that positions such as this one are actually available. It is even more rare when someone who has never taught at the college level has such outstanding qualifications as you do. Your work in the field of paleontology with Dr. Mercer is unprecedented, especially for a man as young as yourself. Not many men in their twenties can say that they have done the things you have done. While we usually like to take a considerable amount of time to explore our options when hiring a new teacher, your qualifications alone have made you a front runner for the position. I would like to speak with you either by phone or in person as soon as possible to discuss setting up a preliminary interview for you. I am in my office Monday-Thursday from 8 am to 4 pm and Friday from 8 pm to 2 pm. I look forward to speaking with you in the future and thank you once more for your interest in the position._

_Joseph Waterman, Dean of the Physical Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles_

Tommy had to blink multiple times and reread the email once more just to make sure he was fully comprehending everything he had just read. When he emailed Dean Waterman he had done it only because Anton had pressured him into it, never really thinking it would get him anywhere. Immediately, Tommy saw a little ray of sunshine peeking through his already cloudy day.

A position at UCLA would not only put him permanently closer to Kim, it would also do wonders for his reputation in the field of physical science. As much as he loved teaching high school students, "Doctors" Anton had told him, "just don't teach high school."

He knew he was more than overqualified to be stuck teaching high school level science in a small town to kids who, aside from a select few each year, only took his classes to fill their graduation requirements. As a professor at a major and highly prestigious university, he would finally have the opportunity to teach people who actually cared about what he had to say and that shared the same passions he did.

However, if he interviewed and the job was offered to him, there were three immediate problems facing him that would make the job a difficult one to take. Obviously, the impending threat of an attack on Earth was the main proverbial wrench being thrown in the plan. At Reefside High, his relationship with Principal Randall granted him a quite a few liberties in case of a Ranger-related emergency. She always had a slew of substitutes on standby, ready to take over his class at a moment's notice and if those failed, she would step in for him in his absence.

Not only that but, even though she had been evil at the time, she had given him his first teaching job, something he felt forever indebted to her for. Even though he had a doctorate and could have taught at a number of more esteemed and prestigious institutions, Reefside just felt like home to him. That was the third reason that was preventing him from immediately calling Dean Waterman to set up an interview. Reefside, with all its' quirks and oddities, reminded him of Angel Grove, the first place he had lived that he actually felt comfortable in calling home.

With his adopted father's position as a military general, his family had bounced around from the time he was born until the time they settled in Angel Grove when Tommy was a teenager. Starting off on a military base in San Antonio, they moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida when he was three, San Diego when he was five, Dallas when he was nine, Baltimore when he was eleven and Phoenix when he was thirteen. Realizing that the constant moving was making Tommy's childhood entirely too difficult, his father had promised Angel Grove would be the last place they ever moved to.

His father had kept his promise even though it had meant losing his job, something Tommy realized when his dad had spent two consecutive weeks at home without going to work. As a military man, Jonathan Oliver believed strongly in truth and honor, traits that had carried over to his son and had served him well during his tenure as a Power Ranger. Taking a job as a history teacher in nearby Stone Canyon meant Tommy's mom would have to work as well but they both had been willing to do it to ensure their son could spend the rest of his adolescence in relative peace. If they had only known how much Angel Grove was really the farthest place from peaceful he'd ever live in.

For as much as he loved Reefside and respected Principal Randall, the job opening at UCLA was simply one that was too hard and too rare to just pass over without a second thought. Before making any decisions though, he wanted to talk to both Kim and Principal Randall about the job. Picking up the cordless phone from his desk, Tommy dialed Randall's home number. To say he was surprised when Anton answered would be the biggest understatement of all-time.

The pair had always been rather chummy but he had attributed that to their tenure as evil beings and needing someone on similar ground to talk to. He knew firsthand how hard it was to unwillingly hurt innocent people and having someone who understood his experiences would have made the transition back to good a whole lot easier for the former Evil Green Ranger.

Anton and Tommy spoke for a few minutes with Tommy telling him about not only the email from Dean Waterman but everything else that had been happening as well. Upon hearing of the impending attack, Anton volunteered to call Trent in New York but, getting the same feeling in his chest that he had gotten when he told Ethan he couldn't fight, he begrudgingly told his friend the same thing. There was just no way to get Trent a working power source quick enough for the upcoming battle. Luckily, Anton was quite understanding and, before handing the phone over to Elise Randall, thanked Tommy for what he was doing and wished him and the other Rangers the best of luck.

As soon as Randall took the phone away from Anton and came on the line, Tommy felt his heart sink in his chest. He had tried to mentally prepare himself for this a long time ago just in case a better opportunity elsewhere ever presented itself but, when push came to shove, telling her that he was seriously considering leaving Reefside permanently instead of just a semester to be with Kim like he had planned was much harder than he had expected.

He danced around telling her about it for a few minutes before she grew impatient and told him to just "come out with it already." Taking a few deep and overly dramatic breaths, Tommy told her about the email he had gotten from Dean Waterman. Expecting Randall to be angry, or at least disappointed, he was pleasantly surprised when she told him that he shouldn't even think twice about it.

"Tommy, a job at a school like UCLA is a once in a lifetime opportunity we're talking about. You'd be foolish not to take it if they offered it to you," Randall told him reassuringly. "The things you have done for and at Reefside are greatly appreciated but I wouldn't feel right telling you not to run at this thing head on. This is a dream job and you need to follow your dreams. Besides, if you get the job and end up not liking it, there will always be a position at Reefside for you as long as I'm in charge."

Not only was Randall not mad or disappointed, she was actually encouraging him to follow his dreams. Hearing that from her was like a breath of fresh air yet equally disappointing and unnerving all at the same time. Now he knew exactly how Kim felt when they all told her to chase her dreams and go to Florida. The circumstances, though not as extreme, were oddly similar and actually made him hesitate even more.

Knowing that Kim was going to be the deciding factor in his decision, he politely thanked Randall for her understanding and encouragement before hanging up the phone. Taking another deep breath, he made the trek back up the stairs and found Kim curled up on the sofa with a blanket covering her body, the sounds of _Pretty Woman_ playing in the background. Quietly, he made his way to the couch and sat down next to Kim before pausing the movie. Pulling her into a sitting position on his lap, he looked at her and gave her a small smile.

"Can we talk?" Tommy asked, Kimberly nodding her head slowly. "A couple days ago Anton told me about a job opening at UCLA in the science department. I sent the Dean an email telling him I was interested but I didn't really think he'd even reply considering I've only taught high school. He sent me an email this morning telling me he wanted to set up an interview with me and I wanted to get your opinion before I made a decision."

"I think you'd be stupid if you didn't at least interview with him. UCLA is a very prestigious school," Kim answered with a smile of her own. "But why are you asking me? This should be your decision, not mine."

On the surface, Tommy wasn't sure why he was asking for approval but, in his heart of hearts, he knew exactly why he was doing it. After being evil he had never wanted to hurt another person again and, not wanting to appear selfish, he had gone through his whole life doing things for everyone else instead of for himself. That was why he had unwillingly taken up the mantle as the Black Dino Ranger and why he had told Kim to go to Florida.

Truth be told, he hadn't wanted to be a Ranger ever again and, as a teenager, he had wanted nothing more than to look Kim right in the eye and tell her not to go. His need to appease others had gotten in the way of that but now, with such an amazing opportunity staring him right in the face, he decided it was finally time he did something for himself.

"I don't know why I asked. I guess I just wanted to get your feelings on it before I made my decision," Tommy replied only half-honestly. "But you and Principal Randall are right. I'd be an idiot not to take the next step with this. I'm going to call Dean Waterman first thing tomorrow morning."

"Good. I'm glad," Kim returned with a smile which quickly faded. "I don't mean to rain on your parade 'cause I'm really happy for you but there's something I need to talk with you about."

"What is it, Kim?" Tommy asked with concern. "Did something bad happen?"

Kim shook her head slowly and then laid it back in the crook of Tommy's neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, allowing her to recline against him as she prepared to tell him what was going on in her head, what had been going on in her head for the past few days.

"I'm having second thoughts about this whole singing career thing. I just don't know if it's something I really want to do," Kim told him, Tommy trying to conceal the mixture of shock and surprise he was now feeling. "When I signed the deal it was before you came back into my life and before all of this craziness started happening. I didn't realize how much time it was really going to take and with everything that's going on now with us and being active again I'm seriously doubting if being a professional singer is the right thing to do. I see you and Jason and Trini and everyone else and none of you guys have crazy jobs. Even Adam quit acting to open up his own dojo. I think, for the first time in my life, I just want to do something normal for once."

"I…I don't know what to say, sweetheart. I think this is one of those decisions you have to make on your own," Tommy answered, doing his best to remain impartial. "I told you when we were kids that you should always follow your dreams and your heart and I still stand by that. If this isn't what you want to do, if your heart is pulling you in a different direction than I still think you should follow it. Just know that I'll always stand by you no matter what decisions you make."

"That's the thing, Tommy. My heart isn't pulling me in a different direction. It's pulling me in the same direction it has since I was fifteen," Kim replied. "All I've ever wanted is to be with you. Traveling the world, as fun as it would be, would only make that harder. We've both seen firsthand what being apart does to me and I've seen firsthand how crazy celebrity relationships can be. I don't want to do it, Tommy. I don't want to risk us. I want to get a normal job and have a normal life. I want what I've always wanted and that's to be with you forever. I want to know how forever feels and I don't want to do it with anyone but you."

Tommy had never heard sweeter words come from anyone in his twenty-eight years of living. Seeing her walk away to go to Florida had been one of the hardest things he'd had to deal with and now she was telling him that she loved him too much to risk their relationship for something she loved doing. For once, someone was actually doing something with his best interests and feelings in mind when it had so often been the other way around.

He wanted to jump up and down, scream with joy and thank whatever greater power was watching down on him for his sudden stroke of luck. When he kissed her a few moments later it was with a love and passion he hadn't felt since they were kids, when he thought they were going to be together forever. It was as if the heavens had opened up and God, or whoever it was up there, had said "Enough's enough. You've been kicked, pushed down and beaten up your whole life. Now it's your turn to get what you want" and he was loving ever second of it.

"I love you so much, Kim. I just don't want you to do this for me," Tommy told her honestly. "If this is what you want, then I'll support you just like I always have. But you can't do this for me. You have to do it for yourself."

"Trust me, as much as I'm doing this for you and for us, I'm doing this for myself as well. This celebrity lifestyle, getting stopped by random people for autographs and stuff, it's fun for awhile but it gets old real fast. It'd only get worse if I went through with this," Kim said, squeezing Tommy's hands. "The only thing that's stopping me is Kira. I know how much all of this meant to her and I just don't want to disappoint her."

"Kira's a big girl, Kim. She was a Ranger and knows what it's like to be disappointed just like we do," Tommy replied, kissing her softly on the back of her neck. "She's also young. She's got a lot of time to make her dreams come true. I know she'll be disappointed but she'll get over it. Besides, even if she isn't on a big album right now maybe having people at a major record label hear her sing is the stepping stone she needed to get her career kick started."

Kim nodded in understanding and agreement, turning her head to give Tommy another kiss. Their lips lingered for a few moments until Tommy noticed the time on the clock. It was already eleven which meant his guests would be arriving within an hour, give or take a few minutes each way. He unwillingly broke their kiss before telling Kim he needed to shower before everyone arrived.

"Just hurry up," Kim told him. "I don't want to get bombarded with questions if they get here early and you're not ready."

"You got it, Beautiful," Tommy said with a smile, giving her one last soft kiss on the lips.

He took the stairs two at a time, practically skipping up them with a feeling of pure joy and utter satisfaction that he hadn't felt in a very, very, _very_ long time. For as hectic, crazy and emotional as things were going to get in the next few hours and days, he knew he could handle them because of what Kim had just said. She was committed to him, to their relationship. Like he had done so many times for her and his teammates, she was putting his interests and feelings ahead of her own.

After undressing and waiting for the water to heat up, Tommy jumped in the shower and did something he rarely did. He sang. It may have been off key, ridiculously loud and his voice may have cracked a few times but he was legitimately happy, happy enough to ignore the fact that he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket with a handle.

The tune in question was one all the Rangers who had served on the Morphin' Team knew and appreciated because it was about them. A fellow named Ron Wasserman had recorded it, along with a slew of others to show his appreciation for the sacrifices the Rangers had made on an everyday basis.

"And we keep dreamin' of a world where all is good so we were told, we need a hero. And we keep dreamin' of a time where good is all that we can find, we need a hero," Tommy sang, laughing when he heard Kim yell at him from downstairs to leave the singing to those who were actually good at it. With a smile on his face, he decided to turn up the volume for her. "AND WE KEEP DREAMIN' OF A WORLD WHERE ALL IS GOOD SO WE WERE TOLD, WE NEED A HERO! AND WE KEEP DREAMIN' OF A TIME WEHRE GOOD IS ALL THAT WE CAN FIND, WE NEED A HERO!"

The increased volume of his voice made him realize just how terrible he really sounded and that, in turn, made him immediately discontinue his singing. Finishing up his shower in silence, he got out, dried off and gave himself a close shave before going to his closet to pick out an outfit. Considering the nature of their meeting he wanted to look presentable without going overboard. A dress shirt, slacks and tie was probably too much but a crisp pair of jeans and a nice button down shirt would do the trick.

Taking a pair of Diesel jeans off a hanger, he questioned why he had ever spent a hundred and forty dollars on a pair of blue jeans. Years of shopping with Kim and carrying her bags had obviously rubbed off on him. He found a nice, white, long sleeved, button down, collared shirt and threw the clothes over his shoulder, dragging the ironing board out of the closet with him.

Once he had pressed off his clothes and gotten dressed, he made his way back down the stairs just as the first knock came at the door. Checking his watch and seeing that it was ten to noon, he knew it had to be Trini, Jason and whoever else they had brought with them. Trini was always insistent about being punctual and, in her book, ten minutes early was better than even just one minute late.

Opening the door, he found Trini and Jason standing there like he had expected but they had Zack with them as well. Giving Trini a warm hug and then shaking hands with Jason and Zack, he quietly let them into his house. Still waiting on Adam, Rocky and Aisha, Tommy silently wished that Billy and Katherine had been able to make it. Unfortunately, Billy's job and the cross country gap between them prevented him from getting away as easily like the others could.

When Billy had sent him a reply email telling him they wouldn't be able to make it, Tommy had forwarded the message from Andros but still hadn't gotten an email back from him. Knowing Billy and Katherine were probably feeling the same way he and Kim felt when they saw it, he resolved that it would probably take a little while for them to send him something that was even remotely close to coherent.

Sitting in the living room, the group of five made the usual small talk that was commonplace when they got together. Getting together more frequently than they had in the past few years, they all realized how much they had missed out on in each other's lives. Jason was a police detective in Angel Grove and Trini had become a Certified Public Accountant. Zack, with his military experience, had been preparing to enter the Angel Grove Police Academy at Jason's urging.

Tommy stole a momentary glance at the clock and, when he saw that it was ten after twelve, he laughed knowing that Rocky was probably the one doing the driving. Rocky always drove fast whether it was a five minute ride to the grocery store or a three hour drive across state but that was due in large part to the fact that he, like Tommy, was usually late for everything.

Ten minutes later, the front door opened without even so much as a knock. Everyone, in unison, looked at each other and yelled Rocky's name without even having to look at the door.

"Hey Lucy, I'm home!" he said in his best Ricky Ricardo impersonation. "Did you guys miss me?"

"Terribly. I haven't slept for three days straight," Tommy replied sarcastically, Rocky, Adam and Aisha making their way into the living room.

They all got up from their seats in the living room and moved to greet their friends. Once the greetings had been exchanged, Tommy instructed everyone to take a seat. Rocky, Adam and Aisha shared the smaller couch with Zack in the recliner and Tommy, Kim, Jason and Trini on the big couch.

"So what's going on, Tommy?" Adam asked, breaking the silence. "Your email made us coming here sound pretty damn important."

"It is. I got an email from Andros a few days ago with a video attached," Tommy explained to all of them. "It's a video you all need to see. But I have to tell you guys beforehand, it's going to be a tough one to watch."

"Well what is it?" Aisha asked, Tommy giving her a sad smile. "Don't give me that smiley crap, Tommy. Just tell us what it is."

"Zordon's last words to us," Kim interjected, already wiping at the tears forming in her eyes. "Somehow he downloaded it into Alpha 7's hard drive and, for whatever reason, Alpha thought it would be a good idea for us to see it now. I think it's because we're all close again. Maybe he knew that somehow…"

Her voice trailed off as the thought of Zordon, the man who had been so much more than just a mentor to them, came over everyone in the room. Just the mere thought of him brought tears to more than a few sets of eyes. Tommy and Kim, however, both knew that after watching the video, no one was going to be able to avoid crying.

"Do you…" Trini murmured, almost stuttering. "Do you want us to watch it now?"

"Are you guys ready for it?" Tommy asked in reply, looking around the room as all his friends nodded. "Okay. Kim, do you want to maybe grab a box of tissues or something?"

Kim nodded, slowly climbing off the couch as Tommy did the same and moved towards the television. He had burned the video onto a blank DVD with a little help from Haley, knowing that watching it in the comfort of his living room would be easier, even if only a little bit, than having everyone stand around his computer in the basement to watch it. Tommy put the disc into the player and returned to the couch with the remote control in hand, waiting until Kim had returned and gotten comfortable before hitting the play button.

The screen was a temporary mixture of gray, black and white static that disappeared a few seconds later revealing a picture of Zordon encased in his energy tube. Trini was the first one to reach for the tissues even before Zordon had said a single word to them. Tommy and Kim had watched the video numerous times and, for the first time, they saw the smirk on Zordon's face as if he had somehow known they would all be together to watch it.

"Rangers, if you are watching this than it means that I am gone. I wish nothing more than to be there with all of you but alas, the fates did not allow it," Zordon began. "You are all remarkable people, amazing in your own special ways. You have all been through so much not only as Power Rangers but as people as well. I never got the chance to tell you how much you all meant to me which is why I have made this video for you with aid from Alpha 7, next in the line of Alphas. Most of you probably don't know Alpha 7 but he has the qualities of both Alpha 5 and Alpha 6. He has been a great ally and a trusted friend to me in my time of need.

Katherine, you came to us later than the others, at a time of turbulence and grief amongst your teammates. Your teammates readily accepted you though and you helped them to deal with the loss of Kimberly in more ways than you know. There was no one better or more qualified than you to replace her. I commend you on your spirit. May it never die."

Tommy exchanged knowing looks with everyone in the room. He had wanted Kat and Billy to be there with them when they saw the video together but it just wasn't possible. Knowing Kat as well as he did, he was sure she had cried when she saw it but he knew she had smiled just as well.

"Aisha, my fierce yellow bear. You are truly gifted. Always willing to fight for what you believe in, you showed great courage in moving to Africa. My only regret is that I did not get to spend more time with you before you departed. You deserve the best life has to offer and I truly hope you achieve all your goals, whatever they may be."

Aisha let out a sniffle as tears filled her eyes and she reached out for the box of tissues. Rocky placed his arm around her and hugged her tightly against his side.

"Rocky, the might red ape. Strong, wise and brave. Your light-hearted nature made you a tremendous asset to the Power Team. You have an undeniable faith in your friends. Never lose those amazing qualities. They make you who you are."

Rocky took a tissue from the box, wiping at the tears that were quickly falling down his face. His hand reached out for Aisha's, squeezing it tightly as Zordon continued.

"Adam…Adam what's wrong? Ahh, how I remember the day you became my black frog. For many years you have chosen to remain in the background, watching over your friends in silence. You are the undeniable spirit that exemplifies all who have been Rangers. Never willing to back down from a fight, always willing to put your friends first. You are the wind that carries your teammates."

Adam felt Aisha's free hand grab his and he took it willingly but he didn't cry. A few tears came into his eyes but he blinked them away, doing his best to maintain some sense of composure.

"Billy, you have, and always will be, the brains behind our team. You came to me as a shy and reserved boy and left a mature and confident man. Your wisdom was greatly appreciated but your faith in the people around you is what defined you as a Ranger."

Without Billy present, the group of eight gave each other the same looks they had given when Zordon had spoken of Kat. They just wanted him to be there with him and it showed on their faces.

"Trini, words cannot do justice to the way I feel about you. Always level headed and willing to help people, even those who didn't deserve your compassion. The day you left I believe a part of me left with you. Remember that, although I am not with you in body, I will always be with you in spirit."

Trini nodded at the image of Zordon television, allowing Jason to hold her close as Tommy laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. She gave him an appreciative smile, taking a few more tissues to wipe away the tears that were streaming down her face.

"Zachary, you are the laughter your teammates always needed. You have always been able to take the most negative of situations and turn them into positives. Like Trini and Jason, a part of me left with you when you went to Switzerland. Your service to your country did not go unnoticed, however. I commend you for the courage you showed long after passing on your powers to Adam."

Alone in the recliner, Zack didn't have anyone to hold on to. Kim sensed that and extended her arm to him as Zack took her hand and smiled. Using his free hand, he took a few tissues from the box Aisha was offering him and dabbed at his eyes.

"Jason Scott, my first Red Ranger. I do not believe I could have chosen a better man to lead the first generation of Power Rangers. You stepped down selflessly when Tommy was given leadership of the team and never once complained about it. When you were needed to return as the Gold Ranger, you answered the call without any hesitation. You risked your life on more than one occasion by taking Trey's power. Always maintain the courage and conviction that rests in your heart."

Burying his face against Trini's chest, Jason allowed himself to cry in front of his friends and teammates. Like Tommy, Jason always tried to keep a strong face for those around him but hearing how Zordon truly felt about him was enough to make him break down. Clasping him tightly on the shoulder, Tommy smiled proudly at his best friend.

"Kimberly, my soaring pterodactyl, my beautiful firebird and my graceful crane. Dulcea's words defined you perfectly. Agile and light as a feather, you are the heart and soul of your group. Perhaps you didn't always make the best choices but you followed your heart and no one can fault you for that. Every one of you who became a Ranger became my child but none more than you, my dear. Your external beauty is rivaled only by the beauty that resides inside of you. My only hope is that you somehow find or have found your wings again. The skies are lonely without the crane flying side-by-side with the falcon."

Tommy placed a soft kiss on her forehead, Kim looking up at him and smiling through the tears. They weren't nearly as strong or as furious as they had been when she had seen the video before but they were there nonetheless. Walking away from the Rangers was a regret she dealt with on a daily basis but knowing that Zordon didn't blame her for her decisions gave her an added sense of comfort.

"Tommy Oliver, the man who has done so much for the world. You have struggled more so than any man I have ever met. Through losing powers, teammates and those you love you stayed strong for the sake of those around you. Green, white, red and I'm sure at least one more at this point, you became the son I always wanted. You came to us under tenuous circumstances but myself and your teammates never doubted you, not once. The good you have done in your lifetime exponentially outweighs the evil of a few bad days. I have watched you struggle and it pained me to see you unhappy. I can only hope that you, like Kimberly, have found your wings once more."

The comforting hands of Jason, Kim and Trini all landed on Tommy's shoulder and he looked at them all with a smile on his face. He had found his wings, just like Zordon had hoped he would. And Zordon was right, like always. The years he had devoted to the fighting the good fight abolished and buried his short tenure as Rita's Green Ranger.

"Justin, Tanya, if by some chance you see this video I beg of you not to be offended by what I have said. I knew you both for such a brief period of time that I never got the chance to really get to know you. I'm sure you have both become wonderful people in your own right. To the rest of you, I leave you with this. At this moment, I want you to look around at each other," Zordon commanded and the eight in the room obeyed without hesitation. "These people you are with, they are not just your friends or teammates, they are your family. Brothers and sisters. Like siblings, fights will occur and feelings will be hurt but, at the end of the day, you are still family. If you haven't already done so, I truly hope that you can find it within each of you to forgive each other for past mistakes, if not for yourselves than for me. I love you all. Goodbye, my children."

The video flickered, going to static once more for a few seconds before the screen turned black. Like Tommy and Kim had expected, there was not a dry eye in the room. Even Adam who had tried so desperately not to cry had lost control of his emotions at Zordon's parting words.

Without realizing it, everyone in the room had linked hands with the people around them. Zack was holding Kimberly's hand, she was holding Tommy's, he was holding on to Trini's, she was holding Jason's and he was holding Rocky's, neither of the men ever feeling awkward about it. Rocky had a tight grip on Aisha's hand and she had the same strong hold on Adam's.

Ironically, both former Black Rangers were on either end of the chain, a fact that wasn't lost between either one of them. They exchanged knowing and understanding smiles that only Rangers who had shared a color could understand.

Getting up from the table, Tommy walked over to the TV and turned it off manually. Next to the television set was a painting of a tall and majestic building sitting on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, the sun setting beautifully behind it. To anyone but those who had served with Zordon it meant nothing but to those who had the privilege to be one of his Rangers, it meant home.

Taking the picture of their Command Center off of the wall, the others stared in shock at the miniature safe Tommy had hidden behind the painting. Twisting the dial back and forth a few times, the safe popped open and Tommy pulled out a black box. Setting it on the table, he opened it in silence, allowing his friends to get a look at the contents inside of it.

"Zordon would have wanted this. I can't make you do anything you don't want to do but this is your chance to fight the good fight one last time," Tommy told them as he pulled out two Zeonizers. "Adam, Rocky, I believe these are yours. Whether you want them or not, you'll need them. But I sincerely hope that you want them."

Adam and Rocky nodded in silent understanding, taking the wrist mounted Morphers from Tommy with bright smiles. Reaching back into the box, he pulled out a small gold coin and another Zeonizer, offering them to Trini and Aisha respectively.

"Aisha, Trini's only bond is to her power coin but you have the power of Ninjetti on your side. If you choose to fight, you can rely on that power or you can accept that of the yellow Zeo Crystal. I know it was never yours but, if you decide to fight, you'll need it," Tommy explained, both of them taking the items he was extending to them. Taking one last coin from the box, he tossed it to Zack who caught it with wide eyes and a huge smile. "That's yours, pal. I sincerely hope you'll fight with us again."

Zack nodded eagerly, observing even the most miniscule of the details offered by his old Power Coin. Adam and Rocky, however, looked a bit perplexed. Tommy, sensing that this would happen, pushed the box aside and turned to face them.

"Like Aisha and Trini, you guys shared a coin with someone and those people don't have access to another power source. I know they aren't your Morphin' powers but they _are_ the first powers that you truly made into your own," Tommy explained. "You guys can use your Ninjetti Power too or you can use your Zeo Power. It's entirely up to you but two Rangers of the same team and color can't exist at the same time."

Adam and Rocky nodded once more as Tommy pulled the box back and removed the top half of it, setting it off to the side. Underneath the first layer of the box were ten silver objects that, to the common eye, appeared to be nothing more than your average watch but those in the room knew better. Two were mounted with a red face, two yellow, two blue, two pink, one black and one green.

All at once, eight hands reached out for the devices as they grabbed their respective colors, Jason with red, Rocky with blue, Aisha and Trini with yellow, Kim with pink, Zack with black and Adam with green, leaving only one blue, one pink and one red still in the box. After everyone had grabbed their communicators, Tommy took the second red one and put it on his wrist.

"We can't teleport any more but we can still use these to contact each other," Tommy told them. "If any of you ever need help or are in trouble, don't hesitate to call us. Haley and I have already started working on rebuilding the teleportation grid but it could still take a little while. Until then, I suggest we all stay on the lookout just in case."

Everyone sitting in the room nodded in a combination of understanding and agreement at what Tommy was telling them. By taking their sources of power, they had all agreed to take up the mantle again if they were needed. Looking at Jason, Tommy smiled as his friend stood up and stuck his hand out with his palm facing the ground.

"For Zordon," he said to them.

One by one, someone stood up and placed their hand on top of the one who had come before them. When eight hands were touching, the men and women who had known each other for years, looked around at each other and smiled in unison.

"For Zordon."

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	14. War Games

It was time. Or, at least, it was pretty damn close to time. In some way, shape or form, every corner of the Power Ranger community knew all about what was going to happen. Communication had happened mostly through the Red Ranger Council but a few non-Reds like Xander, who was standing in as a replacement for the still absent Nick, received their information first hand. That meant either Ethan or Tommy had been in touch with him recently.

So much had happened in the past week or so, both Ranger and non-Ranger related. Kim had officially backed out of her record contract, something that didn't exactly go over too well with the executives at the label. She had signed a contract, a legal and binding agreement, after all. But when Kim set her mind to doing something there was no one out there who could stand in her way. Not even Tommy.

She made the drive to Los Angeles alone, leaving in the wee hours of the morning so she could get back to Reefside and Tommy by nightfall. With her checkbook firmly in her grasp she marched into the middle of a board meeting, wrote a check for two-hundred thousand dollars and forced it into the hand of the label's CEO. A hundred grand for her advance after signing the contract and an extra hundred grand just because she felt kind of bad about trying to weasel out of her contract.

It wasn't like she needed the money, anyway. For someone with as many endorsement deals as more than half of the National Football League, two-hundred thousand dollars was like a drop in the bucket for her.

A point had also been made by Kim to drop Kira's name at least a dozen times while she made out the check to the record label. By the end of the whole ordeal she was sure her newest friend in yellow would be getting a call sometime in the coming months. She didn't like using her semi-celebrity status to her advantage but if Kim had to namedrop and push her influence to make things better for Kira, she was all for it.

The young woman had been the closest thing to heartbroken any of the Rangers had seen since Tommy had gotten the letter from Kimberly at the Youth Center all those years ago. But to her credit, she maintained as much of her composure as could be expected considering the absolute unpleasantness of her situation. Out of all four of the younger Dino Rangers, Kira was easily the most mature followed closely by Trent than Ethan and Conner bringing up the rear, though as more and more time continued to pass, he was making a legitimate case for second place.

To say she took it with a grain of salt and was completely understanding of Kimberly's decision wouldn't be a very truthful assessment of Kira's reaction. Tommy and Kimberly hadn't really expected that from her anyway. A few tears were shed from the young woman but, in the end, she was as understanding as a twenty year-old woman who had just seen her dream seemingly disappear in front of her face could be. The truth of the matter, though, was that Kimberly was in no way going to let that happen to Kira.

Kimberly knew what singing meant to Kira. The passion she showed for her music was equal to the passion Kimberly had shown towards gymnastics when she was younger. She had been willing to leave behind everything to chase her dream of gymnastics fame, even Tommy. But somewhere in her subconscious, Kira was glad that Kimberly had gotten out of her recording contract.

Where the former Pink Ranger had moved across the country without ever really looking back, Kira didn't know if she had that in her. She had a fiancée that she loved more than anything in the world, her closest friends by her side, a college to return to in a few months and a world that was soon going to be in the need of Ranger defense and protection.

Maybe a career as a singer just wasn't in the cards for her. At least not yet, anyway. She wasn't willing to completely abandon her dream at such a young age but putting it on the backburner for awhile while she got her life in order wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It definitely wasn't a bad thing for Conner either. Though he'd never tell Kira, internally, he was glad that things hadn't gone through. And it's not that he didn't want her to shoot for the moon and achieve every hope and aspiration she had, either. It's just the thought of Kira running around the country without him scared him a little bit.

He was supportive when she broke down and cried, away from everyone in the sanctuary of one of Tommy's guest bedrooms. The road of having a dream put on hold was a road that he had walked before, putting the safety of the world and being a Ranger above the prospect of playing professional soccer for the Reefside Wave. Still, he was glad he had her there with him instead of on a tour bus two-thousand miles away.

And on the topic of achieving goals, Tommy had gone through two full interviews with the people at UCLA and was pretty sure he had the job in the bag. When you find out one of your closest friends is the biggest financial supporter to a department at a major university and that same friend is the one who told you to apply for a job in that same department, a PhD was like a big jar of fluff, icing on the cake if you will, for the good Dr. Oliver.

The first interview had been rather formal but he and Dean Waterman had spent the whole second interview talking about nothing but baseball. Conveniently, the Dean of the Physical Sciences was, just like Tommy, a devoted fan of the San Diego Padres ball club. When they had sat there for two hours discussing the need for a better starting rotation and the potential of youngsters Khalil Greene and Kevin Kouzmanoff, he knew he was in. It was only a matter of time before he got the call from Dean Waterman asking if he wanted to be the new Professor of Paleontology at UCLA. His answer? A resounding yes would suffice.

If he was honest with himself, he knew Kim was just as happy about the potential new job as he was. Reefside and Los Angeles weren't that far away; close enough to drive up on a Friday after work, leave Sunday by noon and be back in time to still get a goodnight's sleep for Monday but both of them living in the same city would make things a whole lot easier.

They hadn't even been back together for that long but she had never been more in love than she was every morning when she rolled over and saw Tommy sleeping next to her. Even his profound morning breath couldn't drive her away again. She'd put up with far worse to know a night where she didn't fall asleep in his arms would be a rare night indeed.

Then there were all the other veteran Rangers that had once again found themselves on the verge of yet another major battle. Two days before the much dreaded twenty-seventh day had come Jason, Trini, Zack, Rocky, Adam and Aisha all made the temporary move to Reefside. For some, getting the time off from work had been difficult. For others, it had been easy. Either way they were all there.

Jason and Trini along with Rocky and Aisha were taking up residence in the guest bedrooms at Tommy's house with Zack on the pullout couch in the living room. The kids: Conner, Ethan and Kira were staying with their parents and Adam was bunking over at Haley's place. Though a few were missing, for the most part, they were all together again.

At the present, the Rangers were working on Day 26, the literal dark shadow of the twenty-seventh day hovering over and practically teasing them. Every so often one of them would hear a random thunderclap or see a flash of lightning across the sky that caused many shudders and nervous looks amongst the eleven Rangers and Haley who were currently in Tommy's living room.

The group had planned to spend a peaceful day in the park filled with plenty of Frisbee and football and barbecuing but the beating of rain against Tommy's house when they woke up that morning put those plans to rest. Instead, everyone congregated around four o'clock in Tommy's living room to watch movies, eat pizza and try to enjoy what they knew would be their last day of peace.

Zack was sitting in the recliner rotating his Power Coin between his fingers with Trini on the couch staring down at hers, both of them still in partial disbelief of what was happening. They had been gone the longest, the idea of being able to morph again still something they were trying to come to grips with. On the couch opposite the one Trini was sharing with Jason, Tommy and Kimberly, Adam and Rocky were practicing the Zeo morph sans Zeonizers.

Even Rangers need a refresher course now and then, something that was blatantly obvious just by looking at Adam. Instead of touching the outside of his right wrist to the inside of his left one, he had his right forearm resting in the crook of his left elbow.

"Well fuck you too," Rocky said jokingly, a quizzical look coming from Adam and surprised ones from the others. "Dude, look at your arms. It looks like your flipping us off, bro."

"Huh?" Adam asked, blushing when he realized he was doing it wrong. Hayley gave him a pat on the head like he was a puppy and curled up next to him. His arm wrapped around her and the topic of the messed up morph had been dropped. Well, temporarily at least.

They were midway through the male film choice of _The Godfather _when Kimberly paused the movie in need of a bathroom break. Trini followed suit, splitting up to occupy both of Tommy's bathrooms and leaving Aisha and Kira alone with the guys. Tommy wore a look on his face that said he was really thinking deeply about something, possibly even worried.

"What's on your mind, bro?" Jason asked instinctively. When Tommy gave him the deer in the headlights look, he just rolled his eyes and laughed. "Don't give me that crap, Tommy. You're obviously worried about something so what's up?"

"I-I was just thinking," Tommy started, pausing for a moment to look around at the other Rangers. "I know that Jason, Kira and my powers still work but I'm not for sure about the rest of you. I've done tests on everything and the readings say their fully functional but I can't physically test a power that's not mine."

"You mean you gave us all Morphers without even knowing if they work?" Aisha asked in dumbfounded shock as Tommy nodded and blushed sheepishly, eyes fixed on the floor. "Boy, you must be outside your damn mind. What if we went out to fight and couldn't morph?!"

"Look, it doesn't matter. At least we have some kind of head's up so we can find out," Conner interjected as the voice of reason. Kira smiled up at him brightly. He was impressing her more and more every day. Even Aisha who the comment had been directed at gave him a respectful smile. Hell, so did Rocky. Of course, though, Ethan felt the need to raise his hand.

"Umm…when did Conner get smart?" he asked playfully.

A pillow, courtesy of Conner, came flying his way and he narrowly avoided it as it smacked Tommy right in the face. Conner tried to sputter an apology but the pissed off look on Tommy's face was making it difficult to say anything even remotely coherent. It only made things worse when Tommy got up from the couch and took a deep and dramatic breath.

"You pissed me off, McKnight. Now you're gonna pay. It's Morphin' Time!" he yelled, flicking his wrists as his Zeonizers appeared. Raising his arms to the sky, he brought the Morphers together and across his chest. Conner's knees had actually started to shake at this point. "Zeo Ranger Five, Red!"

The younger Rangers along with Aisha and Zack who had never physically seen Tommy in red watched as the spandex enveloped his body and the star emblazoned helmet covered his head. Once he was fully morphed, Tommy turned back to approach Conner. Without any warning he cocked his fist back and threw it at Conner's head. Instinctively, the Red Dino Ranger used his enhanced speed and was already across the room when Tommy's fist went through his living room wall.

"What the hell was that for!?" Conner screamed more than asked.

"Just wanted to make sure you were still on your toes," Tommy replied, pulling his hand from the hole. Shaking his head, he stopped to look at his handiwork, ignoring the stunned looks of the other Rangers. "That's gonna slim down the old wallet."

"You mean you just did that to be an ass?" Conner muttered, Tommy offering a nod and a shoulder shrug as an answer. "You're such a dead man. Kira, care to join me?"

"Gladly," she replied, hopping up from her seat to stand next to Conner. "Ready?"

"Ready," he answered. "Dino Thunder, power up!" came next, flashes of red and yellow entering the room as Conner and Kira morphed.

In some sick and twisted way that only a Ranger could stomach, this was exactly what Tommy had wanted to happen. It made everyone completely forget about him not testing their powers before they had all agreed to come back while, at the same time, actually doing the necessary testing. Unfortunately for him, Conner and Kira weren't comprehending the scheme or at least didn't care enough to let it go unnoticed.

With calculated steps the two young Rangers were approaching their mentor as he started to backpedal towards the kitchen. Conner he could handle but Tommy knew better than to mess with a Yellow, especially a Yellow with a scream capable of destroying eardrums. Though they couldn't see it because of the helmet, Tommy was looking at Adam, Rocky, Zack, Jason and Aisha with eyes that were pleading for their help. Even if they had been able to see his face they were too amused with what was happening to even think about interfering.

"They're just kids. What's he so scared about?" Zack asked. "Isn't he supposed to be our great and fearless leader? He looks like he's about to shit himself backing into the kitchen like that."

"They aren't just kids, Zack," Hayley interjected. She was the only one who knew the Dino Rangers and the original team enough besides Tommy to make that assessment. "Kira's got a Ptera-Scream that will blow your eardrums out and Conner's got lethal feet and super speed. Tommy's not scared, he just knows when to pick his battles."

Nodding his head in understanding Zack turned back to look at the kitchen, offering Adam the popcorn bowl without looking at him. Adam smiled that famous half-smile and took the bowl and extended it towards Rocky and Aisha. Each of them took a handful of the buttery treat before Adam set the bowl on the couch between himself and Hayley.

They took turns trying to toss pieces of popcorn into each other's mouths, often missing badly and hitting the other in the forehead or eye area, laughing all the while. For the first time since they had all met Hayley, Aisha looked at her oldest friend and realized that he was actually very happy around the new woman. She hadn't seen him really truly happy like that in a long time. It warmed her heart a little to see that Adam was enjoying Hayley so much. He deserved a good woman and she knew that. If it hadn't been for Rocky who she loved more than anything she knew she probably would have been all over Adam.

When Hayley finally got a kernel in his mouth he responded to the success with a soft kiss, a move Aisha didn't really see coming. Adam had never been that assertive around women before. In fact, he was usually too nervous to even talk to them. Hayley really must have meant a lot to him if he could break out of his shell around her like that.

Fortunately for Adam, aside from Aisha the attention was being focused on Tommy, Conner and Kira in the kitchen or he may not have been so affectionate around them. The trio was currently dancing around the island in the center of the kitchen as Tommy tried to devise a plan to get out. What he didn't know was that Kimberly was standing just outside the kitchen with, listening to what was going on. With a wicked grin on her face, she tucked her hand behind her back.

"It's Morphin' Time," she whispered softly. "Pterodactyl."

If Tommy, Conner and Kira had been paying attention they would have seen the pink flash of light coming from the hallway but they were too busy with each other to notice it. Kimberly muttered a few inaudible words and extended her hands, turning into the kitchen with her Power Bow drawn.

"Freeze!" she yelled, aiming it right at Conner who stopped dead in his tracks. Tommy and Kira did the same even though the arrow wasn't pointed at either one of them. "You and Kira have three seconds. I suggest you use that time to be smart and run."

Conner and Kira took that advice and were gone in a flash. Well, for Conner it was more of a red blur. Kim reached out and grabbed Tommy's hand, practically dragging him towards the back door to chase after the kids. They were almost to the back door when Kim turned to her right and looked at the rest of the Rangers seated in the living room.

Jason and Trini. Rocky and Aisha. Adam and Hay…no, scratch that. Hayley didn't have any powers and powers were what Kim needed right now. She pointed a finger in the direction of Jason and Trini, curling it back and forth as if telling them to follow.

"What?" Trini asked hesitantly. She had known Kim a long time and had a fairly good idea of where her mind was going right now.

"Jason, Trini, Rocky, 'Sha. Come on," Kim practically commanded. "Ranger couple war!"

Jason stayed firmly planted in his seat on the couch. It was pouring down rain and he wanted no part of that. The kids were stupid for going outside. There was no way in hell he was going to go out there and get soaked to the bone. No way. Not happening.

"Dammit all," Jason muttered when Trini yanked him out of his seat, pulling him towards the door.

"Put me down, ape boy!" Aisha screamed. Rocky had picked her up from the couch, thrown her over his shoulder and was carrying her behind Trini and Jason, the latter of the two looking like he wanted to run as far in the other direction as possible. "Dammit, Rocky! I'm serious. Put me down!"

She should have been more specific for now they were standing under the gazebo in Tommy's backyard, nothing in the distance but grass and trees for miles. But she wanted down so he obliged, maybe not how s he wanted him to but obliged he did nonetheless. He took one step outside of the protection of the gazebo and dropped Aisha like a sack of potatoes on Tommy's lawn.

Oh boy, was she pissed. She tried to run back under the awning but Rocky grabbed her, keeping her under the same torrential downpour that he was being hit with. With violent drops of rain smacking her in the face, it took every ounce of self-control Aisha had in her body not to yank free and smack Rocky when he took her hands in his own.

"Come on, 'Sha. This might be our last chance to have some fun for a long time," he said with pleading eyes. "Pleaaaaaaaaaaaase."

No matter how bad she wanted to fight it, he was right and she knew it. Plus she had never been able to say no to Rocky's puppy dog eyes and pouty lips. Aisha nodded her head and fell back to Rocky's side, looking over at Jason and Trini who were in the same position under the rain. Tommy and Kim had given chase to Conner and Kira, running off into the woods as soon as they had gotten outside.

"What do we do?" Aisha asked softly, almost begrudgingly. "I've never done this one before."

"Just follow my lead. Concentrate on the Zeo Crystal's power," Rocky explained, flicking his wrists as his Zeonizers appeared. Closing her eyes, Aisha followed his lead. A childish grin crossed her face when her own Zeonizers showed up on her wrists. "You're Zeo Ranger Two, Yellow, and we do it like this," Rocky educated. "It's Morphin' Time!"

Using the same motions Tommy had gone through, Rocky mimicked them perfectly only slowing the arm movements down so Aisha could keep up. He gave her an approving nod when her Zeonizers locked into place across her body.

"Zeo Ranger Two, Yellow!" Aisha called out.

In her years away from the Ranger world, she had forgotten how truly amazing it felt to morph. It was such a rush of power, making her feel like she was on top of the world. The bright yellow spandex covered her body, the helmet with double bars closing shut over her head as Rocky yelled his morphing call. Looking through the upside down triangle on his blue helmet, he nodded at Jason and Trini.

"Your turn guys," he muttered.

Jason returned the nod as he and Trini brought their hands behind their backs, taken on a trip through time to when the morphing calls had been so much simpler. Their morph had been easy. No elaborate hand movements, no keys or magical cell phones. Just the power of a coin and the utterance of the dinosaur they controlled.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Jason yelled, he and Trini bringing the Morphers from behind their backs, extended out from their bodies.

"Sabertooth Tiger!" Trini uttered the familiar call.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Jason followed.

The two couples in red, yellow and blue stood there in Tommy's backyard fully morphed with the prospect of a little last bit of fun on all their minds. The feeling of morphing again had put Aisha and Jason's apprehensions of playing in the rain to rest. As Rocky let out an intense, high pitched, bloodcurdling battle cry, the four of them took off towards the woods to find Tommy, Kimberly, Conner and Kira.

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With the Ranger couples outside, Zack had left the rest Ethan, Hayley and Adam to go on a food run. Taking Zack's place in the recliner, a laptop computer rested on Ethan's lap, intentionally blocking his view of the couch and its' occupants, Adam and Hayley. He kept his eyes focused on his computer and _Super Ninja Space Wars_, the only thing preventing him from staring at the rather affectionate couple on the couch. Looking out the window, he watched as the figures of Jason, Trini, Rocky and Aisha disappeared into the forest.

He felt a twinge of sadness run through him when he had watched Conner and Kira take their familiar stances to morph a few minutes earlier. That was _their _stance, _their _morph. Something only _they_could share. He wanted to be out there with them but this was, as Kim put it, Ranger Couple War. With no powers and no significant other with powers, he didn't meet either one of the criteria to participate.

It really pained him to know that, very soon, they were all going to be charging into the biggest battle the universe had ever seen without him there to fight. Being a techie like Hayley had its' perks: no bumps or bruises to explain to his parents, no running off at crazy times without an excuse, no life threatening battles in the confines of Tommy's basement. He thought he could get used to that. After all, computers were his thing. Conner had his soccer, Kira had her music and he had his computers.

He was wrong. Seeing Conner and Kira stand in front of him and morph again only made him want to be able to do it that much more. Clenching his fists tightly, he stared bullets at the screen as his skin started to get scaly and toughen up. His strengthened skin was all he had left of his tenure as a Dino Ranger. That, an exasperated Dino Gem and a Morpher that looked like a kid's toy now that there was no power behind it.

Sitting on Adam's lap with his arm around her waist, hand resting on her thigh, Hayley caught Ethan's expression out of the corner of her eye. She turned her cheek when Adam, who was oblivious to Ethan, tried to kiss her. A "did I do something wrong?" look came next and she shook her head with a sad smile, nodding her head in Ethan's direction. The poor kid was somewhere in between breaking down in tears and flying into a fit of rage.

With an understanding expression, Adam kissed Hayley on the back of the neck and then lifted her off of his lap, gently pushing her in Ethan's direction. She looked back at him, getting only an encouraging nod which she returned before approaching Ethan. As she squatted down in front of him his eyes stayed locked on the computer screen, a single tear sliding down his cheek and splashing on the keyboard.

Her heart broke for the young man right then and there. Gently she reached out and took hold of one of his hands, softly rubbing his arm and trying to get him to relax. His watery eyes threatened an emotional collapse as he finally made eye contact with her and tried to blink away the onset of tears.

"Oh, Ethan," Hayley muttered, throwing her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly as he buried his face against her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. I can't even begin to imagine how hard this must be for you."

The first time Hayley had met Kira and Conner she told the still wet behind the ears Yellow Ranger that she was all about information, that it was her business. Through Ethan's consistent visits to the Cyberspace Café and working with him as a Ranger, he didn't have to say anything for her to know what was bothering him. It only took one look to know he wanted to be out there with his friends and teammates, both new and old.

Trent was across the country attending art school in New York. Being a Ranger again was the farthest thing from his mind. Ethan, on the other hand, was right there at the center of everything that was going on. Even if he pretended like he was okay being a technical advisor like Hayley, she knew that that wasn't the case.

He had the look of a true Ranger in his eyes, the look that they all got when the world needed help. It said he'd be willing to put everything in his life on the backburner if he could just morph and fight with his teammates again. Truth be told, it pissed him off to think that someone like Nick Russell had active powers and an opportunity to save the world yet couldn't be bothered with answering their call.

"I-I'll be okay, Hayley. It's just…" Ethan's voice trailed off as he wiped at his eyes. When he looked up and saw Adam sitting on the couch he immediately felt embarrassed. In his whirlwind of emotions he had completely forgotten that Adam was even in the room. "Sorry, man. I'm sure seeing me cry like a five year-old is the last thing you want to deal with."

"Actually, it's good to see you care so much. So many Rangers don't really appreciate the power and opportunity they've been given. The fact that you're this emotional and passionate about being a Ranger says a lot about your character," Adam, who had moved and was now standing next to Hayley, replied. The comforting hand he laid on Ethan's shoulder earned him a warm smile from the woman squatting below him. "It's hard knowing there's danger out there and you can't do anything to stop it. I've been there twice so I know how you feel."

"I know but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Don't take this the wrong way but I don't care about the rest of you guys," Ethan muttered. Adam and Hayley looked back at him shocked. "I don't mean it like that. I care about you guys just not you guys being Power Rangers again. If it was just you and Dr. O and the others it wouldn't bother me so much. It's just so hard seeing Conner and Kira…seeing them morph again and knowing that I can't."

"Well, I can't speak to that. I've never been the only one on a team without powers," Adam responded. He opened his mouth to speak again but shut it quickly. He hadn't been through what Ethan was dealing with but he knew a couple people that had, one of whom was currently occupied outside in the rain. But then, there was still…"Come on, guys. Follow me."

"Where are we going?" Ethan asked.

"To do a little research," Adam answered, smiling down at him.

His words didn't really register with Ethan who would turn his head every few seconds, look out the window and stare at the cluster of trees in the hopes of catching a glimpse of his friends. Still, he was on his feet but that was mostly because Hayley and Adam had to pull him out of the chair. He didn't really want to go anywhere at that time. Nevertheless, he found himself following them down the hall towards the basement.

"You're amazing," Hayley whispered to Adam. She reached out and took his hand, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks," Adam quietly blushed as Hayley laid the side of her head against his shoulder.

"Has everyone gotten bit by the love bug except me?" Ethan asked in a mutter that he thought only he could hear. "First Conner and Kira, then Dr. O and now Hayley. Something's gotta give soon or I'm gonna go off the deep end."

Hayley squeezed Adam's hand a little tighter when she heard Ethan's words laced with sadness and maybe even subtle hints of jealousy. Even though Conner and Kira were some of his best friends, Ethan often felt like an outsider when he was around them. They both participated in things that were more accepted by the mainstream, singing and playing sports. Hayley was the only person who shared the same passion for computers that he had for them. And now that she was with Adam he felt like he was losing one of his closest friends.

The New Zealand import knew exactly how Ethan felt about her freshly blooming relationship with Adam. Ethan really liked Adam and he was happy for Hayley but she knew how he _really_ felt about it. She had felt the same way when Kimberly had come flying back into Tommy's life, like her best friend wasn't going to have time for her anymore.

As they descended the steps into Tommy's basement, she promised herself right then and there that she wasn't going to let that happen to her friendship with Ethan. Even though she was much older than he was, Ethan and the rest of the Dino Rangers would always be a top priority for her. Besides, after what they had done for her, she owed them.

After Ethan's friendship with Conner and Kira had started to blossom, he had brought them to the Cyberspace Café with him one day. "Since we're going to be saving the world together," he had said, "I wanted you guys to see what I'm all about." The next day at school all of his computer buddies were telling people about how Conner McKnight and Kira Ford actually hung out at the café. Their one brief appearance at Hayley's had led to the Cyberspace Café becoming the newest hotspot hangout for the youth at Reefside High.

Actually, she reasoned, she didn't just owe them. She owed them big time. Especially after Anton Mercer had tried to buy the café for Trent to run because he felt that making drinks and waiting tables was work that was far beneath a Mercer. Even a Fernandez-Mercer. Yep, she really did owe a lot to Tommy, Conner, Ethan, Kira and Trent. A lot, indeed.

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Tommy and Kimberly were perched in trees on opposite sides of the dirt path like two animals preparing to converge on their next meal, a meal that was obliviously walking towards them in the red and yellow spandex forms of Conner and Kira. They were sitting ducks the moment they stopped in the path right between Kimberly and Tommy's trees.

What had started off as a couples versus couples free for all had, after a little more than ten minutes of unorganized war, turned into a more complicated team game. The group of eight had divided into two teams; Jason, Tommy, Kim and Trini on one team with Conner, Rocky, Aisha and Kira on the other. They had even gone to the trouble of making up rules for their little challenge.

All blasters were turned to the sub-lethal "stun" setting that each gun had, the only weapons allowed in hand-to-hand combat were the blades on their blasters, no projectiles outside of the blasters' lasers could be used which meant no bow for Kim or daggers for Trini, a competitor was eliminated after five visible scratches appeared on their uniforms and, last but not least, no multiple shots or strikes to your opponent unless it was in hand-to-hand combat. If you hit one of your targets via a blaster shot or a surprise attack you had to give them sixty seconds to get away before going after them again.

So far, Kim, who had been hiding behind a boulder at the time, had taken out Aisha with a sniper like blaster shot to the shoulder and Kira had given Trini her fifth uniform blemish with a spinning heel kick that sent her yellow counterpart flying into a tree. Conner was working very close to elimination with four scratches, Rocky had three, Jason, Kira and Tommy each had two and Kim still hadn't been hit yet.

The couple in the trees, even though their eyes were concealed by their helmets, were maintaining the closest possible thing to eye contact they could manage. Conner and Kira were back-to-back in the perfect spot for Tommy and Kim to strike, searching high and low for any sign of either them or Jason. Nodding at Kimberly, they released the small blades on their blasters and jumped from their respective trees, a good twenty-five feet off the ground.

Even through the darkness, Conner's peripheral vision allowed him to immediately notice the red body flying towards him. Unfortunately, to keep the game relatively fair, neither he nor Tommy or Kira could use the special powers given to them by their Dino Gems. Tommy could just go invisible and systematically pick everyone off without ever being seen if they were allowed to use their powers.

"Kira, look out!" Conner yelled.

It was too little too late, though. Kira looked up just in time to see Kimberly flying towards her with her blade pointed right at the younger woman's arm. She tried to sidestep it but Kim swung her arm in a way that made avoiding the attack impossible. Scratch number three for Kira, who punched her fist into the ground after being hit, landed on her forearm.

Conner knew he had no chance. An attempt to avoid Tommy's attack would be a futile one. He was prepared to be eliminated but if he was going to go down he was at least going to inflict some damage on his mentor. Instead of trying to dodge like Kira, he pointed his own blade right at Tommy who, as he slashed Conner's shoulder, got hit in the wrist by his former student.

"I'll see you back at the house," Conner muttered dejectedly at Kira, patting her on the shoulder as he powered down. "Kick some ass for me, girl."

"Thirty seconds, Kira," Kim interrupted before she could reply to Conner.

The Yellow Dino Ranger gave Conner a quick wave goodbye and then disappeared into the trees leaving him there with Tommy and Kimberly. With a wicked grin, Tommy just turned and pointed in the direction of his house. Conner stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket and rolled his eyes at the older Rangers before sprinting off towards shelter.

Not only was pride on the line but so was the prospect of making it back to the house without being soaked to the bone. Their helmets and spandex suits prevented almost all of the water from actually touching them which was why no one wanted to lose. Losing meant having to power down and make the trek back to Tommy's place in the rain.

"Ahh! Son of a bitch!" Tommy yelled, little clouds of smoke pouring from his right shoulder. He could hear a cackle coming from Rocky off in the distance and reached back to grab Kim's hand so they could go after him but got nothing but air. When he turned around to look for her she was on her knees, Kira standing above her with her own blade pressed against Kim's shoulder. "Don't do it, Kira. I'm warning you right now, don't."

"Sorry, Dr. O. Gotta split," Kira replied, slashing Kim on the shoulder as she turned around to run.

Kimberly didn't even flinch when Kira delivered the first blow she had received during their game. Tommy and Kimberly both converted their blades into blaster mode and fired single shots at each of Kira's legs. Poor little girl in yellow didn't even see it coming. She went down like a ton of bricks when Tommy's shot hit her left leg and Kim's connected with her right.

"I deserved that, didn't I?" she asked in a mumble, slowly pushing herself up to her feet.

"Yeah, but you did good, sweetie," Kim replied honestly. "Even though we're just having fun everything we're doing out here can be used in the real battles. Don't ever hesitate for anything. I know it sounds morbid but always go for the kill," Kim continued as Kira nodded in understanding. "Good, now power down and start running."

"Do I have to?" Kira questioned defiantly, arms folded across her chest. When neither Tommy or Kimberly replied but maintained their focus on her, she stomped her foot into the ground and powered down. "There. Happy?"

"Extremely," Tommy answered, both he and Kim laughing hysterically as Kira was drenched almost immediately. She didn't find it the least bit funny though and, with a very dramatic eye roll, turned around and ran back towards the house. "Well, I guess that just leaves Rocky, huh? We should probably go after him."

Kim opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by the sound of footsteps that were crunching leaves and quickly approaching them. Silently, they each moved to either side of the path and took to hiding behind tree stumps.

"Stupid freaking game. I didn't even want to play. Dragging me into this bullshit. Who do they think they are?" Jason muttered to himself. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and his head was pointing towards the ground to shield his face from the rain. Obviously, Rocky had eliminated him from the game. "Come on, Jason. It'll be fun. Okay, Trini. Whatever you say. Probably sitting there at Tommy's all nice and warm in front of a fire. Mmmmmm, fire."

His mind was going in so many different directions that he didn't see Tommy and Kim or hear their muffled laughter when he walked by kicking a soda can that was laying on the ground. He did jerk his head in Kim's direction when he thought he heard something but a squirrel that came running out of the woods made him think it had just been the small creature making the noise.

It took him quite awhile until he was out of sight. He wasn't exactly going at a fast pace like Kira and Conner when they had been taken out of the game. Tommy was pretty sure Conner had used his enhanced speed to get back to the house quicker but even then it still would have taken him a good nine or ten minutes. Nine or ten minutes in the middle of a massive downpour.

When Jason was finally out of both sight and earshot, Tommy and Kimberly converged again at the center of the dirt path. Out of nowhere, Kim pushed Tommy to the ground and then launched herself into a back flip just as a blue laser flew right by where they had been standing.

"Shit!" Tommy cursed. Still on his butt, he started scampering back into the trees, narrowly avoiding a burst of blue energy that whizzed over his right leg. Even with the protection offered by the suit he could still feel the hairs on his leg being singed off. "Oww, fuck! That little blue son of a bitch is going down big time for that one."

"Tommy," Kim hissed to get his attention.

He looked across the path at her and she pointed at her blaster. As if trying to convey a message to her boyfriend, she made a few simple hand gestures and then jerked her head in Rocky's direction. The Blue Zeo Ranger was doing his best to keep quiet but the leaves beneath his feet made that damn near impossible.

Kim poked her head around the corner to scout Rocky's location and yanked her head back to avoid another one of Rocky's blasts. It missed her head but completely destroyed the three thick branches above it. Looking back at Tommy, she slowly nodded her head to him. Nodding back, he took a few steps behind him as Kim did the same.

They each held up three fingers to each other, counting down in silent unison. As their third fingers dropped, they ran towards each other, diving across the path. Tommy went low and Kim went high, assuring that they both wouldn't be hit and fired single shots in Rocky's direction. With four hits against him, it was a risky move on Tommy's part but it paid off. Well, it sort of paid off.

One of their blasts had hit Rocky, obvious when they heard him yell a few obscenities in their direction but when Tommy looked across the path to where he had been standing a few seconds earlier, Kim was gingerly holding her right arm. Thin wisps of smoke were floating into the air from where Rocky's shot had connected. She had just gotten slashed in the shoulder at extremely close range by Kira and been blasted in the arm courtesy of Rocky yet hadn't even let out as much as a moan when she got hit.

_Just as tough as ever_ Tommy thought, smiling proudly at her from beneath his helmet. Truth be told, he felt a little bit like a wimp for verbally expressing his pain when Rocky had shot him, especially when Kim hadn't done anything outside of holding her wounded arm. None of the male Rangers would admit it but the females were just as tough as they were. More often than not, though, they were even tougher than the guys.

"How many you got, Rocko!?" Kim yelled, sitting against a tree as she cocked back her blaster. Even though they were in the middle of a competition she knew none of them would ever try to cheat. Not even Rocky. Zordon had instilled far too much respect and honor in them to even give cheating a serious thought.

"Four!" he called back respectfully. "What about you guys!?"

"I've got four, too!" Tommy answered. He held up two fingers to Kim and she nodded in reply. "And Kim's got two on her!"

They waited a few seconds for Rocky to reply but they didn't get anything back. Neither one of them were really expecting him to say anything anyway. They hadn't asked a question pertaining to the game therefore he had no obligation to continue their conversation.

Surprisingly, it took quite awhile before Kimberly notice Rocky making a move towards them. It was surprising because it actually meant Rocky was taking this game extremely serious. It was even more surprising because it meant that Rocky was actually thinking about what he was going to do. Rocky _never_ thought about anything outside of what he was going to eat for his next meal.

"Tommy, duck!" Kim yelled and he did. Just in time, too.

Rocky's blade went flying right over where his left shoulder had just been. Time seemed to slow down as Tommy turned his head and watched the blade go past his face. Instinctively, he rolled to his back and did a kip-up, kicking Rocky's Blade Blaster out of his hands in the process. He dropped to his knees to avoid a punch and then landed one of his own in Rocky's stomach.

The punch forced Rocky to take a few steps back as he doubled over, coughing and attempting to regain the ability to breathe at the same time. His added distance from Tommy who just so happened to be on his knees gave Kim an idea. With her own blade in hand, she knew she'd have to time this perfectly if it was going to work.

Taking a deep breath, she waited until Tommy started moving his hands to the ground to push himself up before she ran towards him. Launching herself into a front flip, Kim silently prayed that one simple detail of Tommy's past hadn't changed. For as long as she had known Tommy he had always gotten off the ground in the same way; he used his fists to push himself up and forward motion so he didn't have to go backwards onto his feet just to end up going forwards again.

As her feet met his back, she thanked her lucky stars that that hadn't changed. If he had gone backwards instead of forwards the angle of his back when her feet hit would have made her slip and fall, ruining her plan in the process. Not that he needed to know but just to reinforce who was boss, she pressed down extra hard on his back. The extra force applied as she jumped off his back and into another front flip pushed him back down to the ground, the face of his helmet landing right in a puddle of mud.

He looked up and wiped the mud off of his visor just in time to see Kimberly coming out of her front flip, her blade cocked back behind her head. Rocky didn't even have time to react. She threw her arms at him, the blade slashing across his chest and sending him flipping through the air horizontally.

"God dammit!" Rocky said loudly, chastising himself for getting hit. He did a kip-up onto his feet and angrily wiped some of the mud of his suit, flinging it towards the ground in disgust. "Good move, Kim," he muttered, not bothering to stop as he walked by her and Tommy who still hadn't gotten up from the ground. When Tommy opened his mouth to call out for Rocky, the Blue Ranger held up his arms completely out of habit. "I know, I know! Power down!"

Once again, he didn't bother to stop. He just kept walking as he powered down mid-step and continued his walk back to Tommy's house. Kim offered Tommy a hand when Rocky was gone and pulled him back onto his feet.

"You know you didn't have to do that," Tommy murmured with a hint of bitterness. "You could have flipped off me just fine without pushing me into the ground."

"I know. Sorry about that," Kim answered in a voice littered with innocence and sweetness. "I got a little carried away there, huh?"

"Yeah. Too bad I can't really be mad at you," Tommy replied, pulling off his helmet and ignoring the rain beating against his face. He wanted her to see the look in his eyes, wanted her to see the love and the pride he had for her. "Have I ever told you that you look amazingly sexy in pink spandex?"

"Yeah. But that doesn't mean I don't want to still hear it," Kim told him, running her hand seductively against his spandex clad chest. She wanted to kiss him right then and there but her hair and rain didn't exactly mix very well. The only way she was kissing Tommy in direct rain was if she thought it would be the last time they were going to kiss. Instead, she settled for pulling him under the semi-sheltered area that the ungodly amount of large trees offered to them. As she unlatched her helmet, Tommy pulled off his right glove and pushed a few buttons on his Communicator. He thought she hadn't noticed. She had she just didn't care enough to say anything about it.

With all her might she grabbed Tommy by the shoulders and pushed him back against the nearest tree. He stared down at her in surprise which was quickly erased as his back connected with the stump behind him. Surprise became pain which became surprise again almost as quickly as it had left. She cupped his cheeks and pressed her lips against his with fierce passion.

It took a few seconds to adjust to the kiss but eventually he did, dropping his helmet into the mud and wrapping his arms around her waist as he started to return the kiss. Their mouths were opening and closing in quick flashes, tongues trying desperately to wrestle with each other. Continuing to kiss her, Tommy found himself lost for what felt like hours.

When the sound of a rumbling engine coming from somewhere off in the distance reached their ears though, he realized that it had only been barely a few minutes. As the noise got closer, Kim jerked her head back and looked down the path to see what the hell was making that annoyingly loud and irritating sound. Slipping his glove off again, Tommy smiled and pushed another button on his Communicator knowing that Kim definitely wouldn't see him do it that time. He silently counted to three and then tried his as hard as he could not to bust out in a fit of laughter when a pair of headlights flashed Kim right in the face.

She had to yank her head back and shield her eyes to prevent herself from being blinded by the headlights of Tommy's black, four wheel, ATV. The ATV's and Raptor Cycles were all hooked up to the Communicator frequency of the Dino Rangers. Along with being on the same frequency, all the vehicles were attached to a Global Positioning System that allowed them to travel anywhere in a ten mile radius of the Rangers with no threat of crashing or being stopped. In theory, if Conner and Kira had been wearing their own gold bracelets they could have used them to call their Raptor Cycles instead of having to run in the rain back to Tommy's place.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Kim asked, trying to blink away the multiple Tommy's she was currently seeing.

"What? I'm insulted by that," Tommy answered in a voice that was dripping with sarcasm and mixed with an equal amount of defensiveness. "Just because you unnecessarily pushed me, your boyfriend and the man you say you love, into a pile of mud doesn't mean that I, the man who loves you more than anything in the world, would feel the need to come back and retaliate. That would just be so juvenile of me, Kim. Don't you think so?"

"Okay, okay. I guess I deserved that," Kim replied. It was her way of admitting defeat without actually admitting defeat. "No more meanness from either of us, k? Just lots and lots," she added, kissing him hard on the mouth. "And lots. And lots," she continued, kissing him again. "And lots. And lots," she just kept going and Tommy wanted no part in trying to stop her. He was enjoying it just as much, if not more, as she was. "And lots. And lots," she kissed him one last time. "Of amazing kisses."

"Marry me?" Tommy asked with a bright blush. Where the hell had that come from? Shit, shit, shit! He didn't mean to say that. Hell, he didn't even want to get married. But he said it. He couldn't back out now. Oh shit, what if Kim said yes? What if she wants to get married?

"Ask me for real in six months and we'll talk about it then," she replied, kissing him softly. She moved to walk away but then decided that she needed to add something. "Or after we kick the shit out of Zedd and Mondo. Whichever comes first."

With that, she turned on her heels and headed for Tommy's ATV which had pulled up just a few seconds after he had flashed Kimberly with his headlights. She stopped momentarily, picking up her helmet off the ground and putting it back on over her head.

Twirling the key to the all-terrain vehicle on his right ring finer, Tommy breathed a sigh of relief at Kim's reply. He really didn't know what he would have done if she had actually said yes to him. Stopping to grab his helmet as well, he looked towards the sky and thanked whatever higher power decided it wasn't quite the right time for marriage.

Throwing his leg over the top of the four wheeler, he climbed onto the vehicle and settled into the driver's seat with Kim in the seat directly behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly and resting the side of her head against his back. Breathing in his scent, she smiled under her helmet as Tommy turned the ATV around, pointing it back towards his house.

About a mile up the path they came across Rocky who was walking with his head down, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. When he felt Kim poking him in the ribs, he knew exactly what she wanted him to do. Who was he to say no to her?

Rocky turned around to see where the noise was coming from. Mistake one. He also completely stopped moving to stare instead of backpedaling. Mistake two. Mistake three wasn't really a mistake, mostly just bad luck on Rocky's part. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or the right place at the right time from Tommy and Kim's perspective.

Yanking back on the emergency hand brake Tommy and Kim leaned forward, their combined weight pushing the ATV up onto its' front wheels. The four wheeler spun in circles, slapping mud in every direction including Rocky's. Sometime after the sixth or seventh rotation, Tommy started to get dizzy so he brought the ATV completely back to the ground, staring at Rocky who looked like he didn't know which of the many emotions he was currently feeling to choose. He chose somewhere between apathy and anger, which basically put his emotions back to normal.

Tommy and Kim laughed, waving goodbye as they tore off back towards the house. Lowering his head and stuffing his hands into his pockets again, Rocky bitterly continued down the path. Thinking it was Tommy and Kim again, he rolled his eyes when the rumbling sound of an engine started to get closer to him instead of farther away.

Somewhere during the time when Tommy's ATV was spinning around and slapping mud at Rocky, Tommy had summoned another ATV for Rocky. Muttering something about pieces of shit and the least they could do, Rocky climbed onto the newly parked ATV, turning it back around.

Gripping the handlebars tightly, Rocky gave it as much gas as he could, leaning forward over the bars as he took the vehicle straight towards a small hill. Launching the ATV into the air, Rocky was too preoccupied with his own flight to see the one occurring right above his head. Having not seen the giant projectile plummeting towards the ground and the engine too loud to hear it connect, Rocky paid it no mind when it slammed into the earth. He attributed the shaking that he felt to going too fast on uneven ground.

A few hundred yards behind him, what appeared to be a large orange egg had just landed and was currently resting deep in the soft, muddy earth. At the hissing sound of pressure being released, the egg split in four different directions, almost like a flower blooming. Steeping out of the egg/space pod, two figures in hooded black cloaks put their feet on the ground of Earth for the first time in almost a decade.

"Let's go," one of them muttered in what was obviously a male voice. "Tomorrow we attack. They will feel our wrath and the wrath of Lord Zedd, supreme ruler of all that is dark and evil!"

"Shut up, Goldar," a female voice hissed. She didn't even flinch when the one identified as Goldar made a motion to strike her. "Lord Zedd doesn't need you to kiss his ass. That's what Baboo, Squatt and Finster are for."

Snarling at his female companion, Goldar pressed the flat side of his sword against her cheek. He used the tip of the sword to pull back her hood and snapped at her one last time, growling in her face before he turned around and heading into the woods alone.

Wiping the saliva off her face, the woman turned in the opposite direction to look in the direction of Tommy's house. She pointed her sword at it, harnessing every ounce of evil energy she could manage to muster up. When she knew it had full power, she thrust the sword towards the sky, bolts of golden lightning illuminating the starless night.

As the outline of a "Z" started to form in the night sky, she returned her sword to its' sheath and turned back towards the woods. She had done what her master had ordered her to do. Scorpina had just delivered the Power Rangers their final warning.

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_Oh man, you guys have no idea how good it feels to get back to this story. I know it's only been a couple weeks but since I've updated but for me that's like six months. I'm really going to try and maintain focus on this and _The Longest Day_. When I sat down to write this I found myself having to go back and read my older chapters to make sure I didn't forget anything or mess anything up. Actually, when I sat down to write this I didn't even sit down to write this. LOL. I was going to write a Thanksgiving oneshot to coincide with _A Ranger Halloween_ but I figured you guys would like this better and appreciate it more as well. So I really hope you guys liked it. Hopefully you all haven't given up on this story cus I sure haven't. Talk to you all soon._

_WK_


	15. Trickery

_Reefside, CA_

Tommy woke the next morning to a bed without Kim in it and the violent sound of shrieking coming from the kitchen. Fearing the worst, he quickly threw the covers off of his body and made a beeline for his bedroom door in his pajama pants and a pair of moccasin sandals that he always kept right outside of his closet.

Taking the steps two and three at a time, a million thoughts began to run through his head when the shrieking turned into laughter. He froze a few feet outside of the kitchen. Smoke was pouring in every direction. Rocky, Jason and Zack were rolling on the floor, laughing like madmen while Aisha and Trini tried desperately to fix the mess that he knew Kim had created.

He could only shake his head when the smell of burnt bacon reached his nose. Combining the sight of his three friends wheezing with laughter and the scent of well overcooked pork, he was somewhere in between wanting to help Kim in the kitchen or joining the rest of the guys on the floor.

The beginnings of a grin started to form on his face but it immediately disappeared when he saw the tears in Kim's eyes. He was by her side in an instant, grabbing a towel off the counter to help the her and the other girls combat the thick wisps of smoke rising towards the ceiling.

"I thought I told you that you weren't allowed to cook anymore," Tommy said softly, nudging her with the side of his butt.

"Shut up, Tommy. I'm so not in the mood," Kim grumbled, beating at the smoke with a towel. "Just keep your mouth shut and help."

"Hey, Kim?" Tommy asked but she didn't reply, didn't even look to acknowledge him. "Kim? Earth to Kim. Come in Kim."

"What!?" she shot back angrily.

Trini winced and put her arm around Aisha, leading her as far away from Tommy and Kim as possible. She knew Kim was on the verge of a blowup and didn't want to be anywhere near her when her anger meter went into the red.

"I love you," Tommy replied, smiling at her.

Rolling her eyes, Kim tossed the towel onto the counter and folded her arms across her chest, staring back at Tommy with an unimpressed look on her face. She wanted to be mad at him, really she did, but the smile he wore erased every ounce of anger she was feeling.

Sticking his arms out, Kim found herself instantaneously gravitating towards the invitation of his embrace. When she was close enough, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a crushing hug against his chest.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I was just upset about ruining breakfast," she whispered, standing on her toes to kiss him. "I love you too, Tommy."

Tommy smiled down at her as their lips met in a passionate kiss, both of them clinging to each other, oblivious to all that was going on around them. Rocky and Zack were pretending to mimic Tommy and Kim while Jason, who was on his knees, was acting like he was going to throw up. Trini and Aisha just stood there outside of the kitchen with their arms folded across their chests, smiling at the couple. It wasn't until they heard the sound of something crashing outside that they broke their kiss.

"What was that?" Zack asked, pushing himself away from Rocky.

"I don't know," Tommy answered, moving towards the sliding glass door. He poked his head outside but didn't see anything. Leaning back into the house, he looked at the others and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see anything out there but I'm gonna go check. Any of you guys coming with me?"

"I'll go," Rocky volunteered.

"We'll all go," Kim interjected. Jason gave her a look and she returned it with the middle finger, sticking her tongue out at him in the process. "Shut up, Jase. It's not like we have breakfast to eat."

"Fine," Jason grumbled. "Let's go."

Tommy nodded his head and stepped outside onto the porch as Jason, Rocky, Zack, Aisha, Kim and Trini all followed him into his backyard. For precautionary measures, he flicked his wrists and summoned his Zeonizers, signaling for Rocky and Aisha to do the same as they approached the woods. Following Tommy's lead, Jason unclipped his Morpher from the back of his belt, motioning at Trini and Kim to get there Morphers ready too.

They had only taken a few steps into the woods when they noticed a huge oak tree had been chopped down and was laying on the dirt. Tommy rationalized that the tree was where the sound came from but there was still the question of how it got there.

Another couple of feet into the trees and he didn't have to wait long for the answer. One loud bang later and another giant oak tree started falling quickly in their direction. Pushing their girlfriends out of the way, Tommy, Jason and Rocky all dove after them and managed to narrowly avoid being hit by the tree. Unfortunately for Zack, he wasn't so lucky.

The tree came crashing down on him as he tried to dive away, crushing his legs in the process. The sickening sound of Zack's legs being crunched by an oak tree was enough to make all of them queasy and enough to make Rocky, Kim and Aisha act on that queasiness.

Zack screamed out in pain, unable to move his legs even a little bit as he tried to wiggle away from his trapped position using only his upper body. Even with the combined strength of six Power Rangers, the tree was too heavy for even them to move. Try as they might, they just couldn't get it to budge.

"Zack, it's too heavy," said Trini, using all her strength to no avail.

"No shit!" Zack writhed, biting back tears. "Try Morphing! Just fucking do something!"

Looking at Rocky and Aisha, Tommy nodded at them and moved to stand in between the pair as Kim and Trini fell back behind Jason.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Tommy yelled.

In unison, the three Zeo Rangers raised their arms to the sky, making an "X" with their wrists before bringing their arms down and stretching them out horizontally. Pulling their arms back in, they locked their Zeonizers in place.

"Zeo Ranger Two, Yellow!" Aisha called.

"Zeo Ranger Three, Blue!" Rocky followed.

"Zeo Ranger Five, Red!" Tommy finished.

Blinding flashes of yellow, blue and red light erupted in the forest. When it had subsided, three fully morphed Zeo Rangers stood there, waiting for Jason, Kim and Trini to follow.

"Let's do it guys!" Jason ordered, swinging his Morpher around from behind his back. "It's Morphin' Time!"

"Pterodactyl!" Kim started.

"Sabertooth Tiger!" Trini added.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Jason ended.

With that, the six Rangers moved back towards the tree to give it another go. On Tommy's signal, they had just bent back down to try again when the sound of laughter began to echo in the forest. Six heads turned and stared in horror at the two figures walking across the tree trunk towards them.

"Goldar," Jason breathed angrily.

His grudge with the oversized, winged, and armored monkey went back further than any other Ranger. He had been the one that Goldar always targeted from the moment he became a Ranger until he passed his powers on to Rocky.

"Sorry, Zack," Tommy whispered. "Looks like we got company."

"Kick his ass, bro," Zack returned, grimacing in pain. Tommy nodded his head and turned to walk away but Zack grabbed his wrist. He turned back around and stared down at Zack from under his helmet. "Make that son of a bitch bleed for me, Tommy."

"You got it, bro," Tommy replied quietly.

Tommy turned to join the others, Zack's hands gripping the ground tightly. Dirt was slipping in between the cracks of his fingers as he tried to ignore the pain running through him. The intenseness of the pain shooting through his entire body was quickly becoming too intense to deal with. However, it wasn't until Tommy and Jason led the rest of the Rangers charging towards Goldar and Scorpina that Zack finally was able to get a good look at his legs.

He took one momentary glance at his legs, saw that some of his blood-covered bones had penetrated his skin and immediately started to feel woozy. A few seconds later, he lost consciousness and passed out on the ground.

With their Zeo Sword and Power Sword in hand, Tommy and Jason went for Scorpina and Goldar respectively, leaving Kim, Rocky, Aisha and Trini to deal with the army of Putty Patrollers that Goldar had summoned.

The battle was fierce but quick. The Putties were stronger than anything the Rangers had faced before. In the end though, they were nothing more than foot soldiers. Once they had picked up on the tactics of the new Putties, the fight became a lot easier.

On Tommy and Jason's side of the battle they had Goldar and Scorpina reeling. Using his sword to parry one of Scorpina's attacks, Tommy pushed back and landed a kick right in her chest plate. Jason had executed a similar maneuver and as Goldar flew through the air, he collided with Scorpina, both of them landing in a heap on the ground.

"You haven't seen the end of us, Power Rangers," Goldar growled, pointing his sword directly at Jason. "We'll be back for you. Lord Zedd will have his revenge."

That being said, Goldar and Scorpina disappeared in beams of energy that looked like flames, fleeing the forest and the fight at the same time. The Putties that hadn't been eliminated followed suit a few seconds later, leaving the Rangers to attend to Zack.

As Tommy and Jason ran towards him, Tommy touched his wrist, calling his ATV to him. They stopped right in front of Zack, waiting for Rocky, Aisha, Kim and Trini to join them. When they were all there, Tommy and Jason pulled out their Blade Blasters and motioned for the others to do the same thing.

"Zack's out cold. We're gonna have to blast a hole in the tree," Tommy said commandingly, aiming his Blaster at the trunk. Five more weapons pointed at the tree, simultaneously taking aim. "Hold on, buddy. We're gonna get you out of there."

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_Rockporium, Briarwood_

"Thanks, mate," Xander smiled, signing his name on the UPS driver's clipboard before handing it back to him. "Cheers."

The man in brown just nodded his head, handed Xander the pink copy of an invoice and turned for his truck. He had been delivering to the Rockporium for almost three years and he still couldn't figure out why Xander hadn't adapted to more of an Americanized vocabulary.

Grabbing the handles on the green hand truck, Xander let out a grunt as he leaned the contraption back and pulled it through the store towards the Rockporium's stock room. Once he had the boxes all situated, he picked up the invoice he had been given by the driver and shook his head.

"A hundred and fifteen copies of Kylee Styles new album? She's not even that good," Xander sighed, pulling one of the cases out of a box and looking at the cover. "But she is _definitely_ a looker."

"But not more than me, right?" a female voice asked. Xander wheeled around in surprise to find Tori leaning against the door with a smile on her face. "Hey, you."

"G'day, love," Xander said softly, walking over to where she was standing. Taking her hands in his own, he placed a soft kiss on her lips and, when he broke the kiss, Tori was blushing. "What's the matter, sweetheart? Something bothering you?"

"No," she breathed, smiling up at him. "It's just-Blake, he-he never kissed me like that. It seemed like it was always about him. But you…I don't know what it is but there's something about you that makes me feel like you really care about me."

Xander sighed. He knew all about Blake Bradley, the Navy Thunder Ranger, and how he had broken Tori's heart when he left her behind a few months prior to travel the country, racing dirt bikes for his team, Factory Blue. The poor girl had been crushed when, after a Factory Blue stop in Briarwood and an autograph signing at the Rockporium, Blake broke up with her right outside the manager's office.

Toby Slambrook, the manager of the Rockporium, had been having a conversation in his office with Xander regarding the whereabouts of fellow employee and Power Ranger, Nick Russell, when it had happened. The events of that fateful afternoon were both fortunate and unfortunate ones that Xander could still recall vividly.

He remembered walking out of Toby's office to find Tori in tears, slumped on the floor and muttering a few choice curse words that he was sure no one ever said in Australia. He remembered going after Blake to teach him a lesson about respecting women only to have Tori follow and restrain him. Most of all though, he remembered when she grabbed his arm, bit back her tears and told him that it wasn't worth it, that Blake wasn't worth it.

"Look, love. You have to forget about Blake. He's a jackass, if you ask me," Xander replied, kissing her on the forehead. She winced at the name calling but practically melted into his arms when he kissed her. "He missed out on the greatest girl in the world when he left you. And I'm glad he did 'cause if he hadn't, you and I wouldn't be here right now."

"You're a smooth talker, Xander Bly," Tori retorted, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him again. "What do you say we get out of here and go grab a bite to eat?"

Staring down at the Rockporium's most recent shipment of CD's, it was times like these where Xander was thankful for Chip, Madison, Vida and Nick, when he was around. They could take care of putting the order away. He had more important things to tend to.

Shrugging his shoulders, he looked down at Tori and nodded his head, reaching for her hand. Walking towards the exit of the record store, Xander yelled something to Chip about taking his lunch break, allowing Tori to pull him towards her van.

"Where are we going, milady?" Xander winked, pulling the seatbelt across his body. "More of that fine American dining you love so much courtesy of that fast food monarch, the Burger Queen?"

"It's Burger King you big doof," Tori laughed, pushing him on the shoulder. "And no, we aren't going there. I was thinking somewhere a little more romantic."

"Romantic?" Xander asked rhetorically, laying his head against the top of his seat. "I love romance. What do you have in mind?"

"Don't worry about it," Tori answered slyly, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. "You'll see when we get there."

Rolling his eyes, Xander took Tori's free hand as she pulled the big blue van out of her parking spot and onto the road. They had only been driving a little more than five minutes when Tori caught something up ahead in the distance that made her slam her foot on the brake, bringing the van to a screeching halt. Xander's forehead smacked against the dashboard and he cursed loudly, rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"What was that about?" he asked, turning his head and looking at Tori.

"Up there," she replied, pointing out the window. "What does that look like to you?"

"Uhh…" Xander squinted, trying to see what Tori was pointing at. "It looks like some people being attacked by some guys in gray, maybe a little red. Why?" Tori gave him an are-you-really-serious look that didn't immediately register with him. It took a few seconds before what she was trying to tell him finally clicked. "Oh crap. Let's go."

Unbuckling their seatbelts, they hopped out of the van and ran down the street towards a group of Cogs that were surrounding a small family. They came to a stop right in front of the Cogs as Xander pulled out his wand.

"You ready?" he asked, getting a nod from Tori in reply. "Then lead the way, sweetheart."

"You got it. Ninja Storm, Ranger Form! Ha!" Tori yelled, basking in the power as her helmet closed over her head. "Power of water!"

"Now it's my turn. Let me show you how it's done," Xander followed. He winked at Tori who, from under her helmet, was smiling at him. "Magical Source, Mystic Force!"

With his cape fluttering in the wind and Tori by his side, Xander pointed his wand right at the Cogs and unleashed a blast that left half of them tied down by oversized tree roots. The rest of the Machine Empire's foot soldiers came running at the pair as they prepared for the impending battle.

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_New Tech City, 2027_

_Oh yes. I can feel the blood rushing right to my head. I kinda like this. Hey, is that Cruger and Dr. Manx? What are they doing here? Never mind, it's not them. Silly Bridge, you must be seeing things again. You know what Z always says…no, I don't. Hmm, what does Z say? I wonder what Sky and Syd are doing right now. I bet they're…hey! I could sure go for some toast right now. I bet Z would get me some toast but where is she? Oh, here she comes right now. I should wave. Woah, woah, woah, woah. Oww! Bad idea Bridge._

"You're never gonna learn, are you?" Z asked, standing over the top of Bridge.

She had just walked into the room that he had once shared with Sky Tate before his promotion to Commander of S.P.D. and managed to catch Bridge in a rather precarious position. Space Patrol Delta's Red Ranger was standing on his head like he always did when he had noticed Z enter the room and tried to wave to her .

Unfortunately for Bridge, gravity wouldn't allow it and he went toppling over like a ton of bricks, landing on his back and looking up at Z who simply stared down at him and shook her head. How she had ended up with Bridge was a mystery she was still trying to solve. She was quiet and reserved. Bridge was loud and goofy but something about him had endeared him to her. She was just trying to figure out what that something was still.

"Hey, Z," Bridge smiled from the floor, now able to give her a real wave. "You should come down here. The view is really amazing."

"Bridge, you're staring at the ceiling," Z replied, shaking her head. She offered him her hands and he took them, allowing Z to pull him off the ground. "Why do you do that stuff to yourself? That has to be bad for your brain."

"I don't think it is. Besides, I think better that way," Bridge answered, recalling his thought before she had walked in. Z didn't believe a word of it, though. "Like, I thought I saw Doggie and Kat but then I realized I didn't and then I was like, Hmm, I wonder what Sky and Syd are doing? Then I was thinking about how much I wanted toast. Mmm, I love toast. Especially when it's buttery."

"Knock that off," Z continued, playfully slapping his hand away from his mouth when he tried to wiggle his fingers in front of it. Bridge just smiled at her and pulled her into a tight hug against his chest.

_Ahh, that's why I like him so much. Sure, he may be a little quirky. Okay, a lot quirky but he's such a sweetheart. How can you not love that face? He's like an innocent little puppy dog that just wants to be loved._

Indeed, Bridge was quirky, but he also knew how to get down to business when the time came for it. This was one of those times. When the sound of Delta Base's alarm reached his ears, he immediately let go of his hug on Z but made sure to grab her hand as he pulled her out of his room and into the hallway.

Heading towards the base's Command Center, Z had the misfortune of being with Bridge when they passed the mess hall. Everything came to a screeching halt when Bridge heard the clicking noise of fresh hot bread popping out of a toaster. He was like a dog when it came to things like that, couldn't stay focused on one thing for very long and immediately lost interest in whatever he was doing as soon as he heard a sound that he liked.

"No, Bridge. We have to go or Sky's going to be mad at us," Z said sternly, maintaining a tight grip on Bridge's hand as he tried to run away. She refused to let go of his hand but when he turned and looked at her with those sad puppy dog eyes her heart melted. "Fine. But hurry up. I really am not in the mood to get yelled at."

"Thanks, Z," Bridge smiled, pecking a kiss on her cheek. "You're the best."

"That's what they tell me," Z grumbled, watching Bridge run towards the serving counter.

Three minutes later he was back with a piece of toast in one hand and a stack of it wrapped in a paper towel in the other hand. He just stood there in front of her, munching on his toast like he had forgotten what they were doing there in the first place. Rolling her eyes, Z snatched the slice of bread right out of his hand, popped it into his mouth and grabbed his now-free hand, dragging him as far away from the mess hall as humanly possible.

A few minutes later they came to another stop, this time in the Command Center where Sky was standing and waiting with his back to them, arms folded behind him. Bridge was in the middle of a bite when S.P.D.'s newest Commander turned around to face him.

"Cobbanda Tay, seh," Bridge saluted with a mouthful of toast. "Brid Cawsor rebortin feh doty, seh!"

For as much as they didn't want to laugh, neither Sky nor Z could help it. Bridge's goofiness had just grown on them to the point that it didn't seem to bother them anymore.

"Bridge, how many times do I have to tell you?" Sky laughed, shaking his head. "You don't have to salute me or call me Commander Tate. Sky will work just fine."

"Sorry, Commander Tate," Bridge replied, swallowing the food in his mouth. "I mean, Sky. So what's going on? We heard the alarm and came running here but then I had to stop for toast and Z wouldn't let me but eventually she did and now we're here. Wait, why are we here?"

Burying his face in his hands, Sky shook his head back and forth, wondering how in the world Bridge had turned out the way he had. Z laid a hand on Bridge's shoulder and raised a finger to her lips, signaling her boyfriend to just be quiet.

"Shh, Bridge. Let momma do the talking," she urged, squeezing his shoulder and turning to Sky. "So what's going on, Sky?"

"Apparently, you're both needed in 2007 as soon as possible. I just received a transmission from Dr. Oliver and he said it's urgent that you both come," Sky answered, returning the head nod that Z had just given him. Bridge was trying to listen but the stack of toast in his hand was just too damn distracting. "You're both to morph and leave for 2007 immediately. You'll be taking S.P.D.'s newest ship made for time travel, _S.W.A.T. One._ It should land you right on the outskirts of Reefside. From there, send a transmission to Dr. Oliver. He'll come and pick you both up."

"Wait, where are we going?" Bridge asked, taking another bite.

"Bridge," Z said calmly, taking his hand. "Let's go. Sky, we'll see you when we get back."

"You two be safe out there," Sky returned, a slight smile on his face. "I've got two new recruits that are going to need training and I want you both here to do it. Preferably alive."

"Oooh, new recruits?" Bridge asked excitedly. "Who are they? Come on, Sky, tell me. Who are the new recruits? Are they cool? Are they funny? Are they-"

"Carson! Calm down!" Sky ordered, taking a deep breath. "Their names are Jeffrey Oliver and David McKnight. If all goes well they'll be taking over the vacant Blue and Green Ranger positions that you left open after your promotions. Now go!"

"Aye-aye, sir!" Bridge saluted again, almost falling down when Z yanked him by the arm as quickly and as far away from Sky as she could.

She practically had to carry him the whole way, against his will, to the docking station where the _S.W.A.T. One_ was waiting for them. He wanted to know all about the new recruits: who they were, what they were about and why their last names sounded so familiar but Z was having none of it.

When they got to the ship, both of them had to stop and marvel at it for a moment. It was like something out of a movie, a long craft painted in a sleek shade of black with the S.P.D. logo emblazoned on all sides. Unclipping his Delta Morpher from his belt, Bridge looked down at Z and asked the question she already knew was coming.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," she answered, retrieving her own Morpher.

"S.P.D.!" they yelled in unison, bringing their Morphers across their body. "Emergency!"

Hand-in-hand, the Red and Yellow Rangers made their way up the boarding ramp and into the ship. Z settled in behind the controls and hit a sequence of buttons, the engines on the ship coming to life. With a sad look on his face Bridge stared out the window of the rising ship, waving goodbye to the Delta Base as it slowly started to fade from view.

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_New York City, NY, Present Time_

Sitting in his office, Billy Cranston was engaged in an instant messaging conversation that had been recently been arranged by an old friend of his. Between trying to figure out how NASADA was going to pay for the replacement parts needed for the _Mark II _after Zhane's accident in it and keeping up with the instant messaging, he was quickly starting to get stressed out.

_wcranston: Send me the specific dimensions of the product and I'll see what I can do. With the technology we have here, I might be able to help you out._

_gamefreak1: Seriously? You really think you can do something? Oh man, that'd be awesome._

_wcranston: I can't make any promises but I'll do the best I can._

_gamefreak1: Hey man, that works for me. Anything you can do to help is great. Thanks a lot._

_wcranston: No problem. Hey listen. I'm pretty busy right now at work so I'm gonna go but I'll be in touch soon._

_gamefreak1: Ok. Later._

_wcranston: Bye._

Signing out of his instant messaging account, Billy closed his laptop and swiveled his chair around so that he was now sitting in front of his work computer. He brought up NASADA's financial report for the last quarter, buried his hands in his face and slowly shook his head.

NASADA had already spent nearly two-hundred and seventy million dollars, in intergalactic currency of course, to get the _Astro Megaship:__Mark II_ to Earth from KO-35 and that was with Andros finagling a discount because it was Ranger related. Now they were looking at another sixty-five million dollars in repairs because Zhane had decided to take the ship on a joyride past Gamma Vile and had gotten it caught in the crossfire of the planet's fourteenth civil war in the last century.

_Mr. Cranston, your wife Katherine is on Line One._

"Tell her I'm busy and that I'll call her back in a few minutes," Billy replied to the speaker on his desk. He picked up the receiver from the dock and immediately hung it back up before his secretary could reply.

Rubbing his forehead, he took a deep breath and thought long and hard about what he had just committed himself to. He had been through power losses so he knew what his new friend was going through. More than anything, he wanted to help, but he just didn't know if there was anything that he could actually do.

That actually worried him a little bit. Every time the Ranger's needed his expertise he had come through. Now he was facing a situation where, for the first time that he could remember, he wasn't truly confident in his abilities to help.

Sighing, he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, picking up the phone and returning his glasses to his face at he same time. He had reached the point where all he could do was his absolute best and pray that Ethan didn't get his hopes up too much.

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Reefside General Hospital, Reefside, CA_

After blasting a hole in the tree and getting Zack free, Tommy had put him on the back of his ATV and taken him back to his house. He laid some towels down in the back of Jason's SUV, laid Zack on top of them and picked the rest of the Rangers up before heading for the hospital. On the way to the hospital, Rocky had called Adam who, along with Hayley, was sitting in the waiting room with the others, trying to remain patient.

If patience is a virtue, none of them were being very virtuous. Tommy, Rocky and Jason were all pacing back and forth in the hallway. Kimberly and Trini were sitting in the corner of the waiting room with nervous expressions on their face, holding their eighth and fifth cups of coffee, respectively. With Hayley curled up against his side asleep, Adam had his arm wrapped around her and was trying to carry a quiet conversation with Aisha seated on his left.

Regardless of what they were doing though, none of them were very happy. They had already been at the hospital for over an hour with no word from the doctor regarding Zack's condition. Both Tommy and Jason had tried to extract some information from Zack's doctor but to no avail. Fire was practically shooting out of Jason's eyes when the doctor had tried to tell him that he couldn't give him any information because he and Zack weren't family.

"Not family!? Not family!?" Jason had bellowed, fighting to break the restraining grips of both Tommy and Rocky. "That man is my brother!_My _fucking brother!"

Jason was inches away from breaking not only out of the confines of Tommy and Rocky's arms, but the doctor's nose and any other bones he managed to get his hands on in the process as well. Luckily for the doctor, the thought of a criminal record kept Jason from doing anything to him outside of yelling and a few well aimed threats.

"I'm gonna go outside and try to call Zack's parents again," Jason muttered to Tommy and Rocky. "You guys wanna come with?"

"Nah. I think I'll stay inside," Rocky answered. "Maybe go keep Adam and Aisha company or something."

"I'll go," Tommy added, getting a nod from Jason. "Just let me see if Kim or Trini want to go with us, too."

Jason nodded and leaned against the wall as Tommy and Rocky turned around and walked back into the waiting room together. A few minutes later Tommy came back out alone. Apparently neither Kim nor Trini were much in the mood for going outside with them.

Not even bothering to acknowledge the absence of Kim and his girlfriend, Jason turned and headed for the elevators as soon as he saw Tommy come out of the waiting room. He didn't even wait for Tommy to catch up until he had gotten inside the elevator at which point he decided to put his hand on the side of the door so that it stayed open for his friend.

They rode in silence from the fifth floor to the lobby. The elevator stopped on every floor on the way to the lobby, Jason rolling his eyes every single time the doors opened to let more people on. By the time they reached the lobby one more ding coming from the doors every time they opened would have sent him into a conniption fit.

When the doors finally opened he had to wait for the seven people in front of him to get out of the elevator and then deal with pushing past the rest of the people trying to get in. He had to clench his fists to prevent himself from snapping at a random person.

His phone was pressed against his ear having already rung twice when he and Tommy stepped through the automatic doors into the fresh air. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for someone to pick up the phone. On the sixth ring, the line clicked.

"_Hello,"_ a female voice whimpered. Jason knew as soon as he heard her voice that Zack's mother had gotten his message.

"Mrs. Taylor, it's Jason," he breathed into the receiver. "Did you get my message."

"_Yes, sweetie. Allen and I are on our way right now,"_ she answered, clearly sounding like she had been crying. _"How's Zack. Is he okay?"_

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Taylor. The doctors won't tell me anything," Jason muttered bitterly. "Some bullshit about me not being family. Stupid fucking assholes."

"_Jason Lee Scott! What in God's name has gotten into you!?"_ Diane Taylor scolded. Jason's cheeks immediately turned red. _"Your mother raised you better than that, young man. Talking like that isn't going to make my son better."_

"I know, Mrs. Taylor. I'm sorry," Jason replied sheepishly. "I'm just so frustrated that they won't tell me anything. Zack's one of my oldest friends. He's like a brother to me."

Jason looked over at Tommy sitting on a three-foot high cement barrier surrounding some random bits of foliage. Tommy just nodded his head in Jason's direction, signifying that he was sharing the same feelings as Jason.

"_I know, baby. I know. Allen and I are going to be there soon," _she continued. Her voice was so soft that it immediately started to calm Jason's nerves. Not completely but enough to the point that he didn't feel like punching random people in the face anymore. _"I know your temper, Jason. I want you to sit in the waiting room and behave yourself, okay?"_

"Yes, ma'am."

"_Good. Who all is there?"_

"Umm, everyone from the old group but Billy. Tommy, Kim and Trini are all here. So are Adam, his girlfriend Hayley, Rocky and Aisha but I don't think you've met them yet."

"_No, I haven't. But I look forward to meeting them. Tell everyone that I said hello and that we'll be there shortly. I have to go, Jason. Allen's outside honking the horn at me."_

"Okay, Mrs. Taylor. Drive safe," Jason replied. "I'll talk to you soon."

Flipping his phone shut, Jason stuffed it into his pocket and gestured towards the hospital entrance. Tommy took the hint and got up from his seatto follow him. They were halfway to the entrance when Jason heard a noise and froze on the spot. He didn't even need to turn around to know what was making the noise that sounded like someone gargling water in a very high pitched voice.

"Putties," Tommy whispered.

He had obviously heard the sound too. Still facing the hospital, the pair looked at each other and nodded their heads, spinning around in unison to face the clay creatures. As the Putties jumped up and down to both sides, Tommy and Jason dropped into defensive stances.

"Is it just me," Jason growled, ducking a punch and connecting with one of his own to the stomach of the Putty in front of him. "or is there timing always shitty?"

"Nope," Tommy replied, landing a kick to the chest that sent one Putty flying towards the third row of cars in the parking lot nearly thirty feet away. "It's not just you."

In the parking lot area, a couple was standing next to the first couple rows of cars and were watching the fight. A small group of Putties who weren't occupied with Tommy or Jason noticed this and started to run towards them.

"Help me!" a young woman screamed.

Tommy heard the screaming and turned around to see the Putties surrounding the young woman and her companion, a young man, both of whom looked to be around the same age. In his momentary lapse of concentration, he caught a punch to the gut and dropped to his knees. The punch had knocked the wind out of him.

"Jason," he coughed. "Go help them."

Nodding his head, Jason dropped down low and swept his leg in a half-circle, dropping four or five Putties in the process. With the Putties on the ground, he took off running towards the young couple, the other group of clay foot soldiers quickly closing the distance between themselves and the two young people.

"Leave them alone!" Jason yelled. He launched into a corkscrew flip that sent him over the Putties and landing with his back to the couple. Turning his head, he looked back and glanced at them momentarily. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah," the man replied. "Thanks."

Jason nodded his head and turned back around to face the Putties, bending his knees and forming a fighting stance. As he cocked his leg back for a kick, a hand fell on his shoulder. From his knees, Tommy looked up just in time to notice Jason turning around.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he yelled.

He got an instant rush of adrenaline and hopped onto his feet to run after Jason but there were seven or eight Putties and only one of him. The clay foot soldiers all wrapped their arms around him and held him back as Jason looked Goldar and Scorpina right in the eye.

The first thought that ran through his head was that the Goldar and Scorpina had killed the young couple and that he hadn't noticed. That thought was quickly put to rest when he looked behind the two titans and found no sign that the man and woman had ever been there. Coupled with the fact that he hadn't heard any noises, Jason realized that it had all just been an elaborate trap. Goldar and Scorpina had simply disguised themselves to lure him into a trap, knowing that he wouldn't let innocent people be hurt.

Jason started to feel nauseous but he didn't get a chance to act on the queasiness in his stomach. The moment his eyes had met Goldar's, he froze in surprise just long enough for the titan to land a punch right to Jason's face that completely knocked him out.

On the other side of the parking lot, Tommy had managed to break free from the Putties. He was running towards Goldar and Scorpina when the scorpion woman pointed her sword at him and sent blast after blast of evil energy in his direction. Somehow, he managed to dodge every one of the shots she fired at him. Little did he know the only reason he avoided the blast so easily was because Scorpina hadn't intended for them to hit him.

For as much as both Goldar and Scorpina wanted to just kill him and get it over with, eliminating Tommy wasn't a part of Lord Zedd's orders to them. They had specific orders to capture Jason and that was exactly what they were going to do. With Tommy laid out on the ground chewing grass, Goldar grabbed the unconscious Jason by his neck and pointed his sword to the sky. When Tommy finally looked up, everyone, including Jason, was gone.

"NO!" Tommy growled from his knees, punching the ground.

Over and over he beat his fists against the grass until his hands were sore, his arms completely gave out and he collapsed in a heap. Coming out the front door, Kimberly looked left and right for Tommy or Jason but didn't see either of them. She took a few steps out towards the parking lot so she could see behind some of the bushes and that was when she noticed Tommy on his hands and knees, tightly gripping handfuls of grass in each hand.

Tommy heard the soft pitter-patter of footsteps against the concrete and looked up to see Kimberly running towards him. Slowly he stood up and, without saying a word, threw his arms around Kimberly, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"Tommy, what's wrong?" Kimberly asked in a whisper, gently stroking the back of his head. "What's going on? Where's Jason?"

With tears in his eyes, Tommy pushed back a little bit so he could look at Kimberly. Softly, he shook his head from side-to-side a couple of times.

"Goldar and Scorpina. They got Jason," Tommy replied, shaking in Kim's arms. Her eyes widened at what he was telling her.

"How?" she demanded. "What happened."

"There were Putties and then I noticed them going after some civilians. I couldn't get to them so I told Jason to help them. He ran over to help but it was a trap," Tommy muttered, tears sliding down his face. Kim reached up to wipe them away and he reached out softly to hold her wrist before continuing. "They kidnapped Jason, Kim. They kidnapped my best friend and it's all my fault. If I hadn't sent him over there none of this would have happened."

Kim heard the words coming out of his mouth but chose to ignore the last part of them. This, and only this, was the one thing she had never liked in Tommy. His guilt complex for things out of his control was ironically, more often than not, out of control.

_I guess I'm gonna have to be the strong one here_ she thought. Instead of justifying his guilt trip with a response she chose to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him close.

"It's okay, Tommy. We'll get him back. I promise," Kim whispered in his ear, fighting back her own emotions for the sake of Tommy. "But we need to go let the others know so we can start coming up with a plan to rescue Jason."

"Okay," Tommy replied, sniffling as he dabbed at his eyes with his shirt sleeve. He broke his embrace with Kimberly and dropped his hands to his side, waiting until their fingers interlocked before heading back towards the hospital entrance. "Jason got a hold of Mrs. Taylor. Her and Zack's dad are on the way. She's gonna ask a lot of questions when she finds out Jason isn't here and everyone else is especially since he's the one that called her."

"We'll figure something out, Tommy. We always do," Kim responded, resting her head against his shoulder.

Tommy nodded his head as they stepped onto the elevator. Two minutes later they were on the fifth floor, fifteen or twenty feet outside the waiting room. As they reached the waiting room, Tommy looked down at Kimberly, taking a deep breath in the process. She smiled softly up at him and gave his hand a tight squeeze.

Hesitantly and with shaking hands, he reached out and grabbed the door handle, turning it softly in his hand. The moment he stepped through the door his eyes immediately went to Trini's. She could tell right away from the look on his face that something wasn't right.

"Tommy, where's Jason?" she asked, eyes filled with concern.

Looking away from Trini, he had to take another deep breath to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to tell her. Bringing his eyes back to her, they fell on her own that were starting to fill with tears. This was going to be a hell of a lot harder than he thought it would be.

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End file.
